Oath
by EmbraceDiversity
Summary: 'What If' AU. "We'll love each other. We don't need anyone else. No one else matters but us. I'll protect you from them, from ALL of them." GaaHina, some NejiHina, SasuHina if you squint.
1. Chapter 1

**AN**: This story has been a WIP for a long time. There are currently 10 chapters written and it doesn't look like it's ending anytime soon. This story is a 'What if' AU involving the Hyuuga clan being in Suna instead of Konoha. There will be some similarities with the Manga but not many.

This fic was inspired by another fic with a similar plot, but it's pretty much dead and I doubt the author will ever finish it. The only thing similar to this fic and that one is the Hyuuga being brought up in Suna, beyond that I went a completely different route.

This story will be updated as I complete a new chapter. Enjoy. Beta'd by Valbino.

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**1**

xxxxx

The nights in Suna ranged between comfortable and cold, depending on the season. Weather does not bother him. His sand protects him from such things so he is never physically uncomfortable. It is the internal pain that the sand cannot protect him from and sometimes he wishes it could.

They hate him. They fear him. It hurts him so badly, he feels so alone. The only one who cares for him is his uncle, Yashamaru; he is the only one who loves him and he is always telling Gaara stories of his mother and how beautiful she was.

"_She loved you too, Gaara."_ Yashamaru would say _"She felt that you were the best thing to ever happen to her. I think that maybe she helps watch over you with the sand. "_

He knows what she looks like through a picture, she is very beautiful, with the same dusty blond hair and blue eyes as Yashamaru. There is a smile on her face and the background looks bright and sunny. Yashamaru was able to get the picture framed and it sits in his room right this moment.

He loves Yashamaru and he loves his mother but…he still feels so alone. He wants to play with the other children, he wants to feel as if he belongs somewhere. His siblings are too afraid of him to play, just like the others. His father hates him, at least he thinks so. Father never looks at him favorably, he's always angry with him but he never knows what it is he doing wrong.

It hurts. It hurts when people run away from him screaming. Every time they do he feels another painful stab in his chest. Why was he different? Why was _he_ the onlyone no one would play with?

The sound of a door opening brings him out of his thoughts and he turns from his perch on the building's ledge, alert. Was it another assassin? He didn't like those people, they kept trying to kill him but he wanted to live, he wanted to exist. Why do they keep coming after him?

Moving into the light he notices that the figure on the roof is a very young girl around his age. He knows her; she's in the academy. He sometimes watches the other children from a distance, but he has always noticed her off by herself and none of the other children would seem to want to play with her. It wasn't until now that it clicked in; she was just like him.

She was wearing a standard purple shinobi outfit-a jacket and slacks cut off just below the knee-and her hair was cut short, almost boyishly. Her eyes were so strange, because they looked completely white. He remembers now how the children would sometimes call her a freak because of her eyes.

_They…they call me a freak sometimes too._ He empathizes with her and a hopeful thought moves through him. The other kids won't play with him, but maybe the two of them could. They were both outcasts, so they'd be able to understand each other.

Gulping nervously, he takes a few steps and slowly reaches out. She doesn't flinch or scream and when he is actually able to touch her shoulder he snatches his hand back as if she had burned him. That was the first time anyone his age had allowed him to do that. The hope inside of him increased, making him a little bolder.

"Hey," he says to her as she's walking towards the ledge. "Um…well…" courage quickly deflating, he nervously looks at her face and then blinks. Her face is slack and her eyes are flat, as if she isn't seeing anything. He had heard the white-eyed people weren't blind, it was just a genetic thing. Something like that.

"H-hey…" he reaches out again with both hands this time, touching her arm. She doesn't respond, it's as if she doesn't even know he's there. For a split second he thinks that maybe she really is like the others and she's just ignoring him, but he has a gut feeling that that's not what it is at all.

Stopping at the ledge of the roof, she steps up, her movements stiff, as if she isn't used to her own body. Alarm washes over him; if she falls, she will die. She doesn't have sand to protect her like he does. Panicked, he rushes over, discarding his nervousness to grab her arm in an effort to pull her back.

"Hey!" he's yelling at her now, eyes wide with fear and confusion "Hey, you have to get down from there!" he tugs again but she continues to stare straight ahead, as if she couldn't hear him. Was she sleep walking? But she should wake up now right? He was yelling and he knows that sometimes when people yell it wakes up others.

She leans forward, going over the ledge. For a tenth of a second he's so surprised that she actually did it that he is frozen. Then sand erupts from his gourd and with uncanny speed reaches the ground, providing a cushion to break her fall. He jumps from the roof, sand slowing his fall. When he reaches the ground he immediately rushes over to the girl's side, the sand cushion disperses and is back in his gourd by the time he reaches her. Kneeling down, he turns the girl over so that she's facing him and shakes her shoulders lightly. Did he get her in enough time? Had he been able to save her?

"Please wake up," he pleads softly, giving her another gentle shake. It's obvious by now that she's either sleepwalking or worse because those large white eyes of hers still look flat and sightless.

Slowly, he watches as she blinks for the first time. Delicate brows furrow and she squints, looking groggy now. She lets out a soft yawn and looks over at the boy holding her. Their gazes lock, green to white, and he smiles slightly when he notices that she is fully awake and that her eyes actually look somewhat pretty when light shines in them.

"Um, hello." The redhead says softly, a little nervous. She continues to stare at him until he notices that her pale skin is changing colors. It's a strange transformation for him and his eyes widen, not sure if he should be alarmed or not.

When she's as red as his hair she lets out a soft cry and jumps away from him, her hands covering her face. She looks terrified.

A hand moves to his chest as he feels another stab of pain. She's scared of him. He had really thought that for a moment…

"I-I'm…I'm…s-so sorry!" the girl says, her voice shaky. To his utter and complete surprise she bows in apology at him. "P-please…please…I-I'm sorry…so…I didn't m-mean to inconvenience y-you…please forgive me."

When she looks back up at him he realizes that she's not afraid of him, she's afraid of him being angry with her. She thinks she's done something wrong. He shakes his head.

"No," he reassures her "you didn't inconvenience me." Standing up, he hesitates for a moment before taking a step forward. "Are you alright? Why did you jump from the roof?"

"Eh?" her eyes widen in disbelief and she looks up at the roof and then at him a few times. All of the red from earlier disappears and she looks even paler than she had when he had first looked at her. She was shaking, understanding just how close she had been to death. Finally her eyes settle to him and she bows again, deeper this time.

"T-thank you s-so v-very much!" the thanks is genuine and for a moment he can do nothing more but stare at this strange girl who still had yet to run from him screaming. "I…I o-owe you m-my life…"

Raising his hands in the air he gives her a nervous look "No, you don't have to do that…" she stands straight again, her hands moving to her mouth, her gaze focusing on everything but him.

He would have thought of it to be fear but she wasn't moving so it had to be something else. "Um, you're not hurt, right? I tried to make sure the sand was soft enough but…" but he still wasn't in complete control of his powers. Sometimes things would happen that he didn't want to which only made people fear him even more.

Shyly, she shakes her head, she seems to be fine and it takes him a moment to realize that she's not going to speak up again. Gaara is very confused; the girl isn't running away but she seems nervous anyway. She had even thanked him.

Understanding now that he would have to make the first move, he takes a few more steps towards her, his sharp eyes taking in every movement, unsure if she'll run away or not. Her hands seem to rise in an effort to cover more of her face but she's not moving.

"Do you know who I am?" he asks calmly, knowing it's a rhetorical question. Of course she knew him, there wasn't anyone in the village that didn't. Instead of responding she nods once. His brows furrow "You're not afraid of me?"

The question seems to confuse her, for she drops her hands. "W-why?" she asks in her soft little voice "Y-you…y-you s-saved me."

"B-but…" he finds himself stammering now and there's a tight feeling in his chest that's completely different from anything he's ever felt before "But everyone is afraid of me. They say that I'm…a monster." He looks down sadly at this, the words hurt whether or not they say it or he says it himself. "They say that I'm bad."

"But t-then, you wouldn't h-have saved m-me right?" blinking, he looks up at her and notes her genuine confusion. She really and truly isn't afraid of him. The tightness increases and he almost finds himself unable to breathe. "Y-you saved me so…y-you can't be b-bad." He hears her say.

_What is this feeling?_

Feet moving, he finds himself standing right in front of the girl. Her face begins to turn red again and she looks nervous but not afraid. Then it clicks in; she's shy. Just. Shy. Not terrified, not horrified…

"What's your name?"

"H-Hyuuga H-Hinata…" she stammers out once more, looking down at the ground.

"Why do you always look at the ground?" he blurts it out and stiffens at his rude behavior. Surely now she'll…

Pale eyes look up and he's stunned to see that they're filled with tears. "I-I'm s-sorry. P-please don't…b-be mad at me. I w-will try h-harder." And she does, even though she looks uncomfortable, she makes an honest effort to keep her gaze on his face.

He's forced to take a few shaky breaths or else his chest would burst open, he was sure of it. Gaara is completely confused but extremely hopeful. Not only that, he found himself wanting to reassure her that he won't get angry with her, that she's fine the way she is.

"It's okay." He forces a smile "You don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable. I'm just happy that you're not afraid of me."

Hands over her mouth she tilts her head and he can see that she's smiling at him, even though her mouth is hidden. Her smile floors him, no one except Yashamaru has ever smiled at him and even though he can't see her lips her smile is the most wonderful thing he's ever experienced right at that moment.

"Hyuuga-san, please be my friend!" he shouts it at her, and she jumps and makes a little sound, but she doesn't run away. He hadn't meant to be so loud he just…he just wanted…

"O-okay." She speaks again and when his eyes snap back to her she nods, as if confirming her statement. Hinata still seems shy but the air is lighter and he can tell that she's happy. Happy. Around him.

They just stand there for a long while, Gaara because he can't believe that this is actually happening and the girl who is also pleased to make her first friend. She doesn't really understand why everyone was so afraid of him, even her father didn't like the boy. He was really nice though, why was everyone so mean to him? He didn't look like a bad boy, he always looks sad…like her.

Looking up at the sky she realizes that, however the heck she got out here, she would need to leave and get back home. Her father would be upset with her if he found out that she had almost jumped off a building even though she couldn't even recall it.

Turning back to him she lowers one hand from her face "I um," she begins "I h-have to go home." She tells him "F-father will…he'll be a-angry with me…"

His disappointment and sadness is very obvious and she tries to think of a way to let him know that she really did want to be his friend. Coming up with an idea she lowers her other hand, smiling and reaching out.

"Could…y-you walk w-with me?" she asks, pale eyes hopeful "It's a l-little scary at n-night."

Wide green eyes look at her in disbelief. Then his gaze shifts to her hand. He looks back up at her and he takes a step back, extremely nervous. Taking him in, she realizes that he's unsure about her honesty. She didn't think it was fair, everyone was so mean to him but he looked just like everyone else and he was really nice. Normally she would remain shy and be too scared to approach him, but looking at him makes her feel that she should make him feel better.

Reaching over, she gently takes his hand. He lets out a sharp breath and continues to look at her as if she were a hallucination. She lightly squeezes his hand and smiles again.

"Please?" she asks again. Blinking a few times, sadness emerges when he actually looks as if he's going to cry. It isn't fair. No one wants her either, she isn't good enough. She gave up too easily and cried a lot, so her father was becoming less and less interested in her. Now that her little sister has been born it seemed that he was focusing on plans to train her once she's of age. No one wants her, no one wants him.

Numbly he nods his head at her question. She flashes him another one of her shy, dazzling smiles and his body is moving automatically, his mind still unable to process the fact that this girl is now his friend, not only that, but she doesn't mind touching him and vice versa. He is not repulsive to her, he isn't scary. He had hoped for so long for something like this to happen but now that it had he realizes that despite his hoping he realistically never believed it could. Gently, he squeezes her hand. When she turns to look at him he finds himself unable to look at her face and his cheeks begin to feel warm. She doesn't seem to mind, in fact, he is sure she understood it, since she is like that herself.

The two children don't say anything after that; they continue to walk hand in hand as she guides him to her home. It was actually not very far, to his disappointment. He doesn't want her to go, he wants her to stay with him longer. When they are right outside the gates his grip on her hand tightens and his gaze is still on the ground.

"I'm…really glad I met you." He says genuinely. If he had known she had actually been approachable he would have tried to talk to her during the academy's recess a long time ago. Gathering up a little more courage he forces himself to look at her "Can I…call you by your first name?" he looks away then, embarrassed at his forwardness.

Out of the corner of his eye he sees her nod her head and their gazes meet again. He is elated, she really is going to be his friend, really and truly.

"You can call me by my name too…Hinata-chan." He says the last part low, excited but also very shy.

She squeezes his hand one last time and when she gently pulls away he doesn't stop her. He doesn't want her to go, but she promised to be his friend so he would see her again. He hoped it would be really soon.

Taking a few steps forward she turns, her eyes wide as if she had forgotten something. Then she smiles again and waves at him shyly "G-goodnight Gaara-kun." She says softly and his heart skips at the familiar way she says his name "And t-thank you for s-saving me."

His chest feels tight and full and he wonders if this is what love feels like. He wants to find Yashamaru and ask him how it was supposed to feel, because he would be so happy if he had another person in his life that he could love and be loved by. If he had Hinata, that would be okay right? It wouldn't matter that the other children didn't want to play, because _they_ would play together.

There's a crinkling sound when he turns to go home. Reaching behind him, he grabs the medicine bag Yashamaru had given him for the little girl he accidentally hurt today. He had been so scared to give it to her and he had been thinking on it when Hinata had arrived. Decision made, he heads for the girl's house. Maybe if he apologizes, she would decide to be his friend as well.

He has no idea that his life was about to completely and totally change forever.

xxxxx

There is something wrong. Hinata notices it the moment it is recess time. She remembered that Gaara didn't come to watch the other children every day, but she had hoped that she would see him. The cooks had allowed her to pack a small extra lunch and she wants to share it with him.

He never shows up and a sick feeling moves through her stomach, telling her that something was terribly wrong. Unfortunately she can't leave the grounds so she decides to try and find him after the academy let out.

A small part of her had also hoped that he would wait for her outside the gates but to no avail. Surely he hadn't faked wanting to be her friend, he had been too genuine with his feelings. Did something bad happen? What if he couldn't come because he was hurt? Now very worried she doesn't go home like she is supposed to; instead she runs around the village, hoping to find him and see if he is alright.

There is a thick tension in the air as she moves through the marketplace. The adults are whispering to themselves and everyone looks agitated. The feeling of dread increases and she redoubles her efforts. She can't give up, not on her very first friend.

When she finally finds him he is coming out of the Kazekage tower with a tall man beside him that she doesn't recognize. Hinata moves to signal at him until she sees his face. The happy boy of yesterday is gone, replaced with anger and open hostility. She almost thinks they are two different boys but Gaara doesn't have a twin, and it is very difficult to mistake hair as red as his. There was something red on his forehead that she can't quite read from where she is standing. Worry fills her. He looks so cold and closed off. What happened between last night and today?

The two males walk towards her and she finds herself becoming incredibly shy all of a sudden, wanting to go and hide. Hinata is directly in their path yet the boy doesn't even look at her, doesn't seem to know she is there. Even though her courage is rapidly falling, she takes a nervous step into his line of vision. Their gazes lock and then he looks away as if she is a stranger. Her face begins to burn and her eyes sting as she tries not to cry and fails. He doesn't want to be her friend anymore and she doesn't even know why. Without thinking, she reaches out a nervous hand and touches his shoulder before he walks past her.

"Don't touch me!" she hears right as something solid slams into her and she feels herself go flying. Her back slamms into something very solid and she cries out in pain as the hard surface of the building scrapes through her clothes and straight to skin. Then the pressure on her front disappears and Hinata briefly, very briefly, sees him right as she collapses. She tries to call out his name but it only comes out as a harsh whisper before everything goes black.

_I know that girl._

Frowning, Gaara realizes only too late that the person who had tried to touch him had been his 'friend' from last night. It isn't until she drops to the ground with his name on her lips that he realizes he had just made a terrible mistake.

The jounin behind him stiffens, too afraid to do anything while Gaara is obviously not aware of everything going around him. The boy stares at her crumpled body on the ground and something snaps. His legs are moving and then he is at her side, kneeling down as he inspects the damage he had just inflicted on her. Her face is pale and dirty and her back is shredded from when he had slammed her against the hard jagged surface of the building. The little bag she was carrying had fallen a distance away from her.

"Hinata-chan?" his voice is unsure. Her chest is still rising and falling so she is obviously alive.

_No._ he tries to tell himself _I shouldn't care anymore. I will love myself and only myself, no one else._

Yet when he looks at her he can't help but remember how she had held his hand reassuringly and said that she hoped they could play the next day.

_She was lying. She had to have been lying._

Then why did she try to reach out to him? If she didn't care, wouldn't she have run away?

_Yashamaru 'cared' as well; look at where that got you._

But Hinata had been alone just like him. No one would be her friend either. She was his first friend and he had been hers. No, Hinata is different, she _must_ be. If she isn't…if she is lying…

If she had lied he will kill her too.

"Gaara-kun?"

She opens her eyes although her face looks pained. Looking around her gaze finally settles on him. He is ready for it. He had almost tried to crush her, she was going to turn on him, tell him that she really didn't care at all, she'd become afraid of him just like all the others.

"Are…you alright?" a shaky hand raises to touch his face, worry underneath the pain in her eyes. She isn't even stuttering, pain and concern overriding shyness. "W-what happened?" She let out a harsh noise, eyes closing "I had hoped we could play…" Then she tries to move, her hand reaching out for something. Following her hand he sees the bag she had been carrying earlier on the ground.

"The lunch…" she whispers "It should…still be good…if you want it." She blinks as something wet hit her cheek and she looks up to see her friend crying. His eyes aren't cold anymore and she winces a little when his arms tighten around her small body. "Gaara-kun?" she is confused, although a lot of it had to do with the fact that she is in serious pain and shock. For some reason she really wants him to have the lunch. He might not have eaten today, that is her thought. "The lunch…" she tries again.

"Forget the lunch!" he yells and buries his face in her chest, pulling her painfully close. His breathing is irregular and he is rocking back and forth "Hinata, I'm so sorry…" he starts to apologize over and over, like a mantra. Still in shock, she looks confused although he can't see it.

"Gaara-kun?" she frowns "I…I don't feel so good." She suddenly wants to go to sleep. "I'm sleepy and…I think my back hurts."

He begins to start calling out her name but she keeps drifting further and further away. Frowning again, she tried to reach out to him but her arm felt heavy. She kept trying until she felt her fingers lightly brush along his cheek. Smiling, she closed her eyes.

xxxxx

When she opens her eyes again, her back is stinging and her face is buried in a pillow that doesn't smell at all like hers. It smells almost stale, as if it has never been used. When she makes a little noise she sees movement and then her friend is at her bedside, taking her hand into his. He looks very worried.

"Are you okay?" he asks. He sounds absolutely panicked and his hands are squeezing hers a little hard. "Hinata-chan, I'm sorry so please tell me you're okay. I tried…" he looks around as if someone is listening and turns back "I told them to heal you and afterwards they said that you just needed to sleep so I brought you to my room."

Wide pale eyes blink sleepily at him. "Okay." She says simply and gives him a weak smile. "Are y-you alright?" her brows furrow. "You l-looked a-angry. I th-thought m-maybe…you didn't w-want to be my f-friend anymore."

"No!" he denies vehemently "No, I do Hinata-chan…you're the only one…" he looks a mixture between confusion and being in pain. She sees him wipe at his eyes with his sleeve "Are you angry with me?"

The question seems to confuse her. "No I…thought y-you were a-angry with me. If I did s-something w-wrong I'm s-sorry Gaara-kun. I w-won't do it again so…"

Hinata doesn't understand why he is so upset. It had probably been her fault that he struck out at her, it was always her fault when something happened at home. She thinks apologizing for it would have made it better but he seems even more upset now.

The grip on her hand tightens and she fights not to wince. "Hinata-chan," his voice sounds pleading, as if he is begging her "Do you really like me? He told me that…no one loved me but you were…you were so nice to me and…" and he doesn't want Yashamaru to be right. "You're always alone too, right?"

She tries to smile at him but she is still in a lot of pain "O-of course I l-like you Gaara-kun." Confusion fills her features "W-why would s-someone say y-you're not l-loved?" Maybe it is because everyone is afraid of him. But she isn't afraid, he is nice and he is her friend. Why wouldn't anyone love him? It is the same at her home, no one likes her, even her cousin hates her now.

Her gaze flickers back to his."I w-will…love you." She says finally "B-because…you're n-nice and you're m-my f-friend and I understand w-what it's like to n-not be loved. M-my family d-doesn't love me e-either." She looks very sad.

There was a long moment of silence and she closes her eyes, feeling sleepy again. She feels his hands jerk sharply and it wakes her up, the girl blinking owlishly at her friend. The look on his face is severe, as if he is seriously debating something and finally reaches a conclusion.

"We'll love each other." He says it low and with dark determination "We don't need anyone else. No one else matters but us. Mother said she would protect you too. It'll just be you and me Hinata-chan, alright?" there is something panicked in his voice, as if he is on the edge of hysterics "I'll protect you from them, from _all of them_." His voice sounds shaky and a little sinister "We will belong to each other and love only each other, no one else."

Hinata seems to debate this. That would be nice, just the two of them. No one else cares for them so they would care for each other. Frowning a bit in pain she begins to struggle to sit up, much to his alarm.

"You're supposed to rest!" he grabs her shoulders but then stops when he sees the look in her eyes. She is nervous and in pain, but she is determined.

So instead he jumps up on the bed and has her lean on him as he gets her sitting up. Her head rests on his shoulder and her breathing is shaky. It hurt her and he knows she is in pain but she is trying to be strong. For him?

"Hinata-chan…" his voice is sad. He hurt his friend because of Yashamaru. But he is wrong, there is someone like him and she does love him. Even though he had hurt her she hadn't been afraid of him, if anything she had thought _she_ had done something wrong! "Hinata-chan, you have to promise." He insists. She had to promise, you aren't supposed to break promises.

She nods her head slowly, her hand reaching out to his. He takes her hand, interlacing their fingers. "I promise." She says weakly "Just the two of us. It would be…nice. I would like…to be loved. Mother loved me until she passed away…"

Stunned, he looks down at her as best he can considering their position "Your mother died as well?" she nods and his hand squeezes hers lightly "Okay. My mother's spirit is in the sand and she said she'd protect you so…she can be your mother too." He feels her smile and nod again slowly and he fights the urge to pull her to him, knowing that she is in pain.

"I love you Hinata-chan." He says firmly "You and only you. It'll be just us and I'll protect you from them. No one else will ever hurt us again, I swear it."

Another nod. "I love you too, Gaara-kun." She whispers and eventually falls asleep, feeling happier than she ever had before in her life. Nothing else compares besides being with her mother, they would be friends together forever.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Uploading all the fics I can early. Merry Christmas. Enjoy the twisted.

xxxxx

2

xxxxx

He opened one eye and found himself smiling slightly when he met white. Opening both of his eyes he saw Hinata leaning over to look at his face, her own expression slightly puzzled. With a grin he shot forward and wrapped his arms around her, earning him a high pitched squeak as they landed on the ground giggling. Once they were done the two children laid on his floor, looking at each other.

"You don't sleep." She observed, blinking curiously. He liked how she wasn't shy around him anymore so she didn't stutter. Around everyone else she was horrible but with him, and only him, she was comfortable. It made him feel good.

Nodding, he took one of her hands "I can't sleep." He confessed "I have really bad nightmares and bad things happen."

A sad expression came over her and he found himself hugging her. He would never be able to convey in words how everything she did was endearing to him because he loved her so much.

"Is that why you have the circles around your eyes?" she asked and he nodded "Is it painful? Not to sleep?"

Gaara started, blinking at her. No one had ever asked him that before. No one had ever cared enough to, not even Yashamaru. "No…it doesn't hurt but…" he frowned as he tried to think of how to explain it "I haven't been able to sleep for as long as I can remember so…I guess I'm just used to it."

"Do you get lonely at night? Everybody is asleep at night time, so you're awake all by yourself. It must be lonely."

His smile was warm "It used to be." He said "But I have you now Hinata-chan, so I'm never lonely." She smiled brightly at him in response. After a moment, she freed her hand from his and he looked up as she brushed her fingers along his tattoo.

"What does it say?" she was curious.

"It means 'Love'." He answered looking back at her "It's a reminder. At first, I was just going to care for myself and find my own existence but…I have you." His gaze turned thoughtful before sitting up. His serious expression piquing her curiosity, she sat up as well, blinking innocently at him. "Hinata-chan, I could give you this mark and it'll show that we belong together and no one else." He frowned "It might…hurt though, so if you don't want to…"

"Did it hurt you?" she asked, her hand reaching to move over the fresh tattoo again. He shook his head.

"I don't remember." He answered honestly. He put a hand to his chest "I was hurting more here." He looked over at her sorrowful gaze and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm okay now." He told her "You worry too much." He teased lightly and the children giggled when he gently nudged his forehead with hers.

Her tiny hands pulled back her bangs "I don't know if it'll look as nice on me Gaara-kun."

He shook his head "No, not there." Gently he picked up her right hand "Here." He rubbed the top surface "It won't be so big so it won't hurt as much." A frown emerged "I don't want to hurt you like last time…"

"It's okay Gaara-kun, I'll just be more careful next time. And I'm all better now, the healers came, remember?" another worried frown "So please don't be sad."

Initially he looked over at her in surprise. Then he nodded and smiled. This was why they belonged together, this was what love was, he was sure of it. She would never leave his side again. Ever.

Hinata raised her hand and looked at him seriously "It's okay if it hurts a little bit," she said softly "it'll be our promise to each other."

She understood. How was she always so understanding?

_We're the same. Two halves of the same whole. That's why we belong together. We don't need anyone else and no one else will hurt us again._

"Give me your other hand." He told her and she did "Just hold my hand until it's done okay?" his gaze was careful on her. She was nervous and a little scared because he had told her that it would hurt. But there was also eagerness. She wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her. Leaning forward he pressed their foreheads together and squeezed her left hand as he held up her right. "I love you Hinata-chan."

She smiled "I love you too, Gaara-kun."

He could tell it hurt her because her grip on him had been strong and tears had been in her eyes. She didn't cry, however, even though he would have been fine with it if she had.

_You don't have to prove anything to me anymore Hinata-chan, I trust you now because I love you._

When it was finished she raised her hand, wincing a little but otherwise fine. The kanji looked red and angry but she smiled, knowing that he had the same mark, so that made it okay. When he looked over her hand he saw that she was bleeding slightly. He brought her hand to his mouth and pulled away stunned afterwards. Confused, she tilted her head slightly.

"Mother says…" he frowned, shook his head, and then looked at her "she says that she likes the taste of your blood." He doesn't seem to know if he's happy about that or not but he looks too distracted for her to try and get his attention. Instead she looks around, his room is not very big and it was very simple. It had a bed which, thankfully enough, could fit the two of them although Gaara never slept. There was a dresser which currently held a few of her clothes that he had taken from her house when he had sneaked in.

Since it was going to be the two of them he said that she would stay with him from now on. That had scared her a bit but Gaara was really strong and he told her that he'd protect her so she would never have to worry about her father being really angry or lashing out at her.

She was happy that it really would be just the two of them; he never yelled at her or told her that she wasn't doing good enough. He always told her that he loved her and that she was special to him. Only her mother had ever said those words to her and she was gone now.

There was a hissing sound and then streams of sand began to surround her like a barrier as the door to their room opened, revealing a jounin she had never seen before.

"Lord Kazekage wishes to see you." He said flatly, his face showing no emotion. Hinata felt arms come around her as her friend pulled her close. She could feel his anger.

"She stays with me." The boy said with finality "She goes where I go."

This seemed to surprise the jounin for a moment before he nodded solemnly and moved so that the two children could walk out. Gaara kept hold of Hinata's hand as they walked down halls that were unfamiliar to her. They felt cold and frightening, making her move closer to her friend. He gave her hand a squeeze and did not protest her lightly clinging on him.

The Kazekage's room was massive; she had never seen anything like it. There wasn't a room in the Hyuuga compound that could even come close to comparing. Everything in the room seemed so large, especially the kage's desk. Frightened, she continued to keep pinned to her friend as he looked up at his father, his eyes cold and hard.

"What is it?" the child asked in a monotone voice. It caught Hinata off guard. He had the same expression from that one day when she had gotten too close and startled him. Gaara was kind of scary when he did that so she was glad that he only gave her smiles and looked happy.

The Kazekage stood up and walked around his desk, leaning against it when he reached the middle. He stared down at the boy and the boy glared up at him as if daring him to do or say something to anger him. Instead the man turned his hard gaze over to Hinata.

"So, I see this is where the Hyuuga disappeared to." The man began, crossing his arms. "Your family has been looking for you little girl."

"Th-they…h-have?" she was honestly surprised. Normally they didn't even know she existed unless it was time to train and then they called her a failure because she would cry and sometimes even give up when they'd fuss at her too much.

"Of course, you're their heir, after all." The Kage said simply and Hinata's shoulders slumped. Of course, they weren't honestly worried about her; they just wanted her back because of what she represented.

"She's not going back." The redhead said coolly, catching the man's attention "Hinata-chan is staying with me and no one else."

Hinata, being the Hyuuga that she is, practically saw the gears churning in the Kazekage's head. It frightened her, because he looked in her direction with a calculating look.

"You want to keep the girl?" the man turned back to the boy.

"I'm _going_ to keep her." He said firmly "She belongs with me."

There was a moment of thoughtful silence before the Kazekage smiled "They'll keep coming after her until they get her," he raised a hand before the boy could speak "so, let's make a deal. I can make it so that no one will ever question her belonging to you. No one else will try to claim her."

Her friend didn't trust him and she didn't either, but she was too scared to do or say anything. "Name your terms."

"The Hyuuga are an elite clan, but there are certain things I can and cannot do because they are 'clan issues'. If I am related to them, however, this changes things and since she's still legally part of the clan… " he snaps his fingers and a black ops appeared with a scroll "All you have to do is sign this and she will legally belong to you for the rest of your lives. As Kazekage, I can finalize the document and that will be it. All you have to do is sign this with her. Those are the terms."

"What happens after we sign it?" the boy wanted to know "What does it mean?"

A slow smile emerged on the man's face "Do you know what the term 'marriage' means?"

Both children looked at each other in slight confusion. They had no idea.

"It means that you two become legally bound to each other as husband and wife. Anything you own will be yours and because it's legal no one can ever challenge your right to each other. The contract is final, once you sign it, that's it. You can't break it. You can say no if you want but then it'll just be more hassle for you in the long run. This will make the two of you official to everyone in the village. Everyone will know that she belongs to you Gaara."

The Kazekage was lying. Hinata didn't know what he was lying about, but she could tell that he wasn't giving them the whole truth. Gaara believed him, however, or rather, he believed him enough to want to sign the scroll. Her friend looked at her "Hinata-chan," he said softly "it's your choice. No matter what I'm not letting anyone take you away from me."

Hinata looked up at the Kazekage who had a blank expression on his face. If she said no it could hurt Gaara's feelings and he might think that she's not as serious about their friendship as he is. She only had one question "W-what ab-about the c-cursed s-s-seal?" she asked, very nervous. That seal would be detrimental to them being together because it would mean that she wouldn't be able to truly leave her home to be with her friend.

"That's the best part." The Kazekage said "You're a main house member who would be married to _my _son. Your sister will become heir and they cannot brand you since you will be leaving your house by marriage. As long as I personally approve it the document becomes valid, you don't need anyone from your family to sign as I can verify that you have given your consent." He smirked "One of the perks in being a Kage."

He wasn't lying about that, she could tell. "B-but…w-would they s-still t-train me? I w-want to b-be able to p-protect Gaara-kun t-too."

Both males looked at her in surprise and she really couldn't believe her words either. If had hadn't been for meeting Gaara, she never would have had the courage to do or say something like that. But he promised to protect her and she believed in him.

"Well, since we'll be in-laws soon, I'm sure we can work something out." Hinata hated that man's smile; it looked so sly and shady. He looked as if they had just helped him win the lottery, all of that from them signing a piece of paper?

"O-okay." She looked at Gaara "I w-want to s-stay with y-you."

She was given a warm smile but when he turned back to his father it was cold and unfeeling "Alright, we'll sign it."

xxxxx

"You know," the boy said as he watched his 'wife' wash her hair "I don't need you to protect me, I can protect myself."

Turning, she frowned at him and he smiled at how cute she looked "No." she said firmly "We…we protect each other. It's only fair."

Well, that did make sense. He nodded "Okay then. You'll get stronger and I'll work really hard to be able to control my sand. I don't want to accidently hurt you…" like he had that little girl, the same one who had rejected his medicine even though he had tried to apologize. Well, that was _fine_, he had Hinata, he didn't need that girl. She was one of _them_ which meant that she didn't matter. Her life didn't matter to him. Maybe next time if she came around him he would kill her, give her something to actually scream about. Mother seemed to agree with him, so that made it okay.

"Can I wash your hair, Gaara-kun?"

Blinking, he looked down at Hinata. "Sure." It didn't matter to him either way. When he sat down on the stool he gave her a funny look "Why do you wear your towel like that?" he was curious "We look the same and I keep mine around my waist."

A look of confusion crossed her face "Um, this is how they told me I should do it when I go to bathe."

"That seems silly." He frowned before leaning back to let her wash his unruly hair. "I mean, if we look the same it shouldn't matter."

"I think it has something to do with you being a boy and I'm a girl. I think if you're a girl you're supposed to wear your towel like this."

That made sense. He still thought it was dumb when her body was practically the same as his, but he didn't want to protest too much and hurt her feelings. "If you're a girl, how come you have short hair?"

The young girl looked thoughtful. "I don't know. My mama kept it like this and I didn't mind."

"You should try and grow it to see what you look like." He offered before closing his eyes as she poured warm water over his head.

"You don't think it'll look funny?" her pale gaze shifted to the floor.

"No." he looked at her strange "Nothing on you looks funny."

This seemed to be the right answer as she smiled and him and nodded "Okay. I won't cut my hair anymore."

xxxxx

In the middle of the training hall of the Kazekage's compound were Hinata and two males he didn't know but had bandages around their heads. The older man looked almost dead, the younger one looked extremely angry and hateful towards Hinata, which was starting to really make him mad.

Both males bowed at her "Hinata-sama," the oldest began "I hope that it is not an inconvenience to you by my bringing Neji here." He gave her a warm smile which made Gaara change his opinion about him looking dead. "Hiashi-sama insisted, as he was assigned to be your guardian before your…arrangement."

Hinata looked nervous at Neji but nodded "I-I don't m-mind if Neji-niisan i-is here."

"I mind it." All heads turned towards Gaara who was leaning against the wall on the far side. "If he keeps looking at you like that, I'll kill him."

Everyone paled, even Hinata. She took a few steps towards him "Gaara-kun you…"

"I don't like how he looks like he wants to hurt you," the redhead said firmly "I don't like his eyes. _No one_ will _ever_ hurt her." He looked straight at Neji as he said this "Guardian." He said the word as if it were something disgusting. What sort of guardian looks at the person they're supposed to protect with open hostility? Especially his Hinata. Mother was also furious, she wanted him to just go ahead and kill him anyway, don't give him a chance to strike out at what was his.

_But Hinata-chan won't like that._ He reasoned. He also didn't want to kill in front of her. It wasn't something he quite understood but for some reason having her see him kill felt wrong. She was too…pure. He began to grow very annoyed.

_This is why I told her she should just let me protect her._

The Hyuuga boy looked at Gaara for a moment longer before turning to Hinata. His eyes narrowed at her bare forehead and then his gaze flickered to the red marking on her hand. "What is that?" he asked.

"This?" raising her hand she showed them the marking Gaara had given her weeks ago "T-this is my p-promise to Gaara-kun. T-that we w-would only…l-love each other. N-no one else."

Both Hyuuga males stared at her in shock. Then they schooled their faces back into blank masks.

"Does it hurt?" Hinata's cousin asked. "Is it a seal?"

"It d-did hurt w-when I g-got it." Hinata admitted. "B-but I don't t-think it's a s-seal."

Taking a few steps forward, Gaara pulled back his hair to show his tattoo "It means that she belongs to me and I belong to her." His tone suggested that any further questioning would result in violence.

Strangely enough, the boy's gaze changed when he looked at Hinata. It wasn't trustful, but it wasn't hostile either.

"I suppose it doesn't matter, since you're no longer a part of the main house." Neji eventually said "And your cage is even smaller than mine." He whispered the last part. The boy turned back to Gaara "We will have to strike at her to train." He informed the redhead "If she's serious about becoming stronger she will end up being hurt." He looked at Hinata "You're too kind to be a shinobi, Hinata-sama." He told the girl "Let him protect you like he wants."

Her pearl-colored eyes shifted to Gaara whose expression was impassive. He's never had to worry about being hurt because of the sand, but Hinata was different, she couldn't control sand. She wanted to become strong enough so that they could protect each other.

Scowling, he turned his head away "Do whatever you like Hinata-chan, but if they truly try to harm you, I will not hesitate to kill them both." He looked at the two males "Remain useful, so I don't have a reason to eliminate you." Walking back over to the wall he sat down, arms crossed.

As much as he didn't like it, he couldn't help the happy feeling he got when she smiled brightly at him in thanks. He could endure anything as long as he could continue to see that smile.

"Neji," the older man said, backing away "Your skill level is advanced for your age. Hiashi-sama complained that her stances were off and her strikes not firm enough. Perhaps she will learn easier from someone her own age."

Neji nodded "I understand."

xxxxx

"You have been studying the charts we've given you, right Hinata-sama?"

Nodding, she stands straight and respectfully, her expression serious. "Yes, Ko-sensei. I have also read the books you have given me on our techniques and the Byakugan as a whole."

Nodding, he turned to Neji "It has been over two years now since we started this training and you have come very far from where you began. Do you know the hand seals for the Byakugan?"

Hinata nodded "Y-yes but…I haven't tried to activate it because I think I'm doing something wrong."

"I wouldn't worry over it much," Neji informed her "The texts make it sound more complicated than it is. Once you've activated it, it only becomes easier, not harder. You already have an understanding of chakra manipulation and how to move chakra where you want it. When you use the hand seals focus your chakra near your eyes. Despite what the texts say, it is really as simple as that."

"It is disorienting at first," Ko warned her "So today, we will teach you, after today, you will take a week to learn how to focus, walk, and maneuver with the Byakugan activated as if you were seeing normally. For you, a week will be more than enough time. Once you've mastered seeing, we will begin to actually use what you have been taught about chakra points. The books tell you how to use it on an opponent but it is better to do than to read. Use it to get the fundamentals down."

Her heart was pounding. They really believed she could do it right now, she could see it in their eyes. It was different from when she had been at home and her father had become frustrated at her every mistake. After mother died he had had very little patience for his daughter. She looked over at Gaara. He was sitting near the door as he always did, his face was impassive but she has known him long enough to see the encouragement in his eyes. He also believed in her.

_I can't let them down._ Closing her eyes she began to focus her chakra to a specific point, right behind her eyes. There was a strange sensation, as if something was _waiting_ there for her. Was that what Neji had meant?

Hinata had practiced the hand seals over and over until she could practically do them in her sleep. Keeping her chakra focused her hands moved quickly through the seals and she could feel something shifting within her. At the last hand seal she knew she had done it correctly.

"Byakugan!" immediately her entire vision shifted to a level she had never before encountered. She could see forward, backward, all around her with vivid clarity. It was disorienting and she found herself swaying a few times before she felt Neji's hand on her shoulder keeping her steady. When she looked over at him she blinked. He looked exactly like all the charts she had been given to study; it was as if she could see into him. "I…did it." The eight year old said in wonder. She saw her cousin nod even though she wasn't directly looking at him. With her vision she looked at Gaara and paused.

It was as if he had two separate flows of chakra within him. One was unmistakenably his, the other was…more malicious. What was that?

"You're seeing Shukaku's chakra flow." Neji explained to her quietly. "The one tailed demon resides within him, which is why he is so feared. It is also why he can manipulate sand to the extent that he does."

A demon? Was that why he couldn't sleep? Was the demon the one giving him nightmares? She looked at Neji "Are you afraid of him?"

"Hinata-sama, you are the only person who does not need to fear him." Her cousin explained to her "You are the only person he will never harm."

"How do you feel, Hinata-sama?" her sensei asked.

Frowning, she inclined her head near the source of his chakra network "I feel a little dizzy." She admitted "But it's not overbearing."

"Because it is genetic, our minds will quickly adapt to our own ability." Neji told her "We are giving you a week but it will probably only truthfully take you three days. Regardless, use the remaining time to try and activate it without using hand seals. Before you ask yes, it is possible."

Giggling, she allowed her vision to return to normal by simply sliding the chakra she used to activate it out. She blinked a few times to get her bearings straight and then looked at them.

"Now that you understand how to activate it," Ko continued "There is little more we need to do here today. Just remember to practice." They all bowed but when Ko turned to leave Neji hesitated.

"Ko-san, can you give me a moment with Hinata-sama?"

He nodded "I'll be right outside."

Once he was out of hearing range her cousin turned to her, his expression very serious "You're the only person I can ask to do this, especially since you're basically considered an exile to the clan." Hinata grimaced but then shook her head. He smiled thinly "There are techniques that I have acquired. I can learn them on my own with time, but it would be easier with someone else. With that, I will also help you learn these techniques."

"You mean the main house's –"

"Yes." He cut in "You are technically barred from learning them because you are considered an outcast, even though you are legally still part of the main house. I am barred from them because I am a branch member."

She opened her mouth then closed it "You…want to work with me?"

Hesitating, he shifted uncomfortably "I know I have not been…kind to you these past few years but even without a seal you are in a similar situation. I can learn them; I fully understand and can grasp the concepts. Normally one has to be taught." He smirked "We will learn on our own."

"I agree to help you Neji-niisan." She promised "But I'm still far behind you…"

He shrugged "You're not as far away as you think. In any case, I must be going. I will see you next week."

Flashing her friend a smile she automatically reached out for his hand and he moved away from her. Stopping, her eyes widen with surprise and not a little bit of hurt. "G-Gaara-kun?"

He looked highly agitated with her and she's not sure why. When she began to shrink into herself his anger suddenly disappeared and he pulled her in to embrace her; face buried in her neck.

"I'm sorry." He said softly "I didn't mean it. I was just…"

Smiling, she wrapped her arms around him "You are all I need Gaara-kun." She says softly and he lifts his head, his eyes filled with guilt and sorrow "I will tell you that as many times as you need to hear it, because I love you." She smiled "No one else but you."

His grip on her tightened as he holds her "I keep doubting you," he said softly "Whenever I see you with others I don't like it. I hate it. I don't want to share you with anyone. I'm sorry."

This happened often although it hasn't seemed to irritate her yet. Hinata had infinite patience with others, especially Gaara, who so desperately needed it. She wishes that she could show him that she loves him as much as he loves her, but she knows that he's been hurt too badly and it will simply take more time.

However, there is one thing that she is a little upset about. "You…never told me the truth about why everyone is afraid of you."

Her friend snapped away from her as if she had slapped him. His eyes are wide as he takes her in but she only looked sad and hurt. She hadn't known? He thought everyone knew.

"I thought you already knew." He admitted "E-everyone else…"

Taking his hand in both of hers she moved closer to lean on him. "Father always told me it was because you were evil but you're not at all."

"Even though I kill others?" he has given many threats but he has never actually killed in front of her. She doesn't even know he killed the assassin from an enemy village that had tried to force Hinata to jump off that building the night they had met. There were a lot of things he didn't tell his gentle Hinata. Was that…bad?

Closing her eyes briefly she sighed and then looked at him "No one else matters." She told him, quoting from the promise she had made to him "Only us."

It wasn't that she liked the fact that he killed but he was her entire world and he was all that truly mattered. Even though she cared for those close to her like Neji and Ko, she would always choose Gaara, because he has never, _ever_ betrayed her.

He has never hated her, he has never looked down at her. He has loved her unconditionally, no one else would do that for her before she had met him. It is in her nature to be kind and to care for others, but in the end she will always stand by Gaara, no matter what he does or says. He is her constant, her anchor, and she was his. Always.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: For those who possibly have ALL of my fics on their alerts, you'll probably see this message a few times. I apologize. Any important updates related to the fic will be up top.

So, I've been silent for a little bit. There's a reason for this. I've been trying to get my novels published and finally, after a lot of hard work, networking, and what have you, I've accomplished my lifelong dream.

I am now an _author_ with Silver Publishing. My novel, _Destined_ was accepted. There are no words to express how I feel about this beyond "Excited as fucking hell." There will be more on my profile, for those interested, but the bottom line is that fanfiction will be taking a back seat for a bit while I go through editing. I have a lot of work ahead of me. **I am not giving up on fanfiction.** But it doesn't pay the bills, and it certainly isn't _mine_, unlike my own works. Just expect really, really, _really_ slow updates.

I hope you guys who love my fanfiction will give my novel a try and thank you all so much for your patience so far. I appreciate it.

**xxxxx**

**3**

"No." his voice was firm. "You will not use her as a pincushion; I should kill you for even suggesting it."

Neji sighed. He could do all of this without her, but he'd rather have someone physical to work with. They were already talking about making him a genin which meant that if he could learn these techniques before the chunnin exam he would definitely make it.

"It's not like she's not going to be doing the same thing to me tomorrow." He tried to reason with the redhead. Training Hinata was extremely difficult because of Gaara's extreme desire to protect his…wife.

_The Kazekage was a bastard to trick them into signing a marriage contract at the ages of five and six._

"Why can't she do it to you today?" Gaara crossed his arms and glared.

He really wished Hinata would hurry up and stop digging in her bag off in the distance "Because I have to make sure I've done it right so I can show her exactly where she needs to strike tomorrow. These are not easy techniques, they're secret techniques from the main house and Hinata-sama already has the principle down as well as I do."

_Maybe leaving was better for her after all. She has much more self esteem because of Gaara practically worshipping the ground she walks on, she's getting training and we don't scold her whenever she does something wrong. She's actually…really good. It'll be good to face off with her if we both go to the chunnin exams at the same time._

"Furthermore," Neji concluded "Hinata-sama wants to do it this way, it was her suggestion in the first place."

Shock and anger fill the younger boy's green eyes and he turns to Hinata as she's walking up towards them. When she sees his expression she stops, obviously worried. Neji listens to Gaara express his extreme dislike over the fact that her cousin was about to practice the sixty-four palms technique on her, rendering her immobile for probably the remainder of the day. She smiles her 'I'm cute so I'm going to do what I want anyway' smile – that even Neji wasn't impervious to at times – and reminds him, once again, that she has to do this so that she can become strong and that this is an unfortunate part of it.

Then the couple lock into a staring contest. Gaara will not leave the room without Hinata; wherever he goes she goes and vice versa. It is very obvious that the redhead knows he's lost to his other half and wants to leave – he's mad as hell which usually means he wants to either go maim or kill something – but cannot. Instead he will have to take her to their room and nurse her for the rest of the day.

_Someone's going to die within a week._ Neji thought to himself, looking at how tense and upset the unstable demon carrier was getting. _Maybe some foreigner will get stupid and attack us so we can sic the little bloodsucker on them._

"I refuse to watch this." Was Gaara's final words to Hinata as he walked over to his usual spot on the ground, actually creating a sand dome around himself and Neji has to keep from laughing. Gaara was actually throwing his version of a tantrum. He supposed he understood. It wasn't like he personally wanted to hurt his cousin either, but doing this would be so much more helpful. If he could do this, the Kaiten would be next. That was the most difficult one of them all.

Her expression is sad as she walks over but there's the determination in her eyes. She does this all for Gaara, Neji wonders if the redhead understands that. She's willing to do whatever it takes to be strong for him because he is all she sees.

_No, he knows. He's just scared. His lives to protect and love her, without her he would cease to have a reason to exist. Then he would really become dangerous. It's probably a terrifying concept for him._

Hinata assumes a defensive stance and activates her Byakugan. The purpose was to strike at a moving target once they were in range; it'd be useless if she just stood there, no other enemy would do that.

"Alright," Neji activates his Byakugan and moves into an offensive stance "Are you ready, Hinata-sama?"

She nods and her form doesn't even waver. Inwardly, he smiles. Yes, leaving the Hyuuga had been the best thing for her.

He charges first and they move into a series of strikes and kicks. She is fighting him seriously, as he asked, and he is impressed at how far she's come with training from, of all people, branch members. He finds the irony highly amusing.

She almost gets him on the side due to allowing his thoughts to go off of the fight. He reorients himself, pushing her back far enough. When he sees his opening, he takes it. It is performed flawlessly, pressing into the points with uncanny precision. He can see how the points he hits locks away chakra flow in other parts of her body.

When she hits the ground the redhead is up and stalking over towards them, death in his gaze. Would he really kill him even though they had agreed…

With a hate filled glare at Neji, Gaara shifts his sand so that it is carrying her, floating behind him. Before he leaves he glares once more at Neji.

"You will not do this to her again." It was a clear threat and Neji wants to tell him that he doesn't have to nor does he want to, but it doesn't matter in the long run. As long as Gaara didn't flip out and try to kill him he could glare all he wanted.

xxxxx

She watches him as he paces around their room, obviously upset. It hurts to move any part of her body but she manages to roll to her side and watch him. Whenever he glances at her there's a mixture of anger, concern, and fear in his eyes. Whenever she tries to talk to him he glares at her and she remains silent. He looks like a wild animal in a cage waiting to pounce on someone.

If she could, she'd get up and give him a hug and tell him that he doesn't need to worry. He hates her sparring because there's always the risk that the person could be an assassin and kill her. He would be unable to do anything about it and it absolutely terrifies him. Gaara trusted no one but her and even then she has had to prove herself to him often, or else he'd believe she was betraying him. If he ever felt that way, he would kill her, she understands this. It is her small fear, because she does not wish to die, but she loves him and will not leave him either. All she can do is hope that if something ever did happen he would believe in her.

Rolling over with her back facing him she closes her eyes.

"I'm cold." She says softly.

The pacing stops. She can feel his gaze on her, burning holes through her back. She curls up tighter in a ball and then he is there, arms coming around to pull her into the safety of his arms. His grip tightens to the point of discomfort.

"I hate it." He tells her and she says nothing. They have these arguments often, it is usually better for him to calm down on his own "You can't trust them, family members will betray you too."

He is speaking from personal experience.

"I'm the only one you can trust." He tells her "I'm supposed to protect you but…look at you!" he doesn't shout very loud but she flinches anyway and he immediately calms down, his hand brushing over her shoulder length dark hair "I'm sorry." He says immediately "It's just…whenever I see you hurting or in pain it hurts so much I can't stand it." His face is buried in her neck "I don't know if I can take much more of this Hinata-chan. It becomes harder and harder for me every time you're hit or something goes wrong."

She raises her arm and places her hand on top of his. "I can endure any pain if I know it will protect you in the end."

"But I don't need it!" he continues to argue "No one can hurt me, no one can touch me unless I allow it. _Hinata._" He is pleading now, dropping the suffix and beginning to kiss the back of her neck. "Just let me protect you. We exist for each other, to love one another. No one else, nothing else."

He is only like this when he is alone with her. With her all of the walls he's built around himself crumble and she _is_ his life. She validates his existence, he lives only for her. Hinata understands this, she understands because she feels the exact same way.

"Just…a little more time Gaara-kun," she says eventually "I'm so close. I'm so much s-stronger now so…please have faith in me."

"I do have faith in you." He is lying, because deep down he doesn't fully trust her, even though he thinks he does. "I just…hate it. I hate seeing you hurt." There's a sigh from him and she almost does give in. But she knows that all of this will come in handy some day. Some day, she will have to protect him, she can feel it. He won't believe her though, because he's never been hurt before in his life, so how could he believe any differently?

Gently he turns her around to face him and there is something different about him, something she's never seen before. It is not bad, she doesn't think, but it is definitely severe.

"Do you love me, Hinata?" he asks and there is a stabbing pain in her chest. It is there every time he asks her this question, because he shouldn't even have to ask it, he should know and believe.

So when his eyes widen in shock she realizes it's because she's crying. Looking up at him she wonders if he can see how much that question hurts her when everything she does is for him. How long have they been together? Half of her life, three years of it she was too young to even remember. Ever since that day five years ago he has been her world. Wherever he goes, she goes. He dislikes having her out of his sight because he knows he's the only one who can protect her. She knows nothing else beyond this life with him, she cannot imagine being like this with anyone else.

His gaze is as sad as hers as he wipes away her tears "Please don't cry." He says softly "I don't want to be the reason you're crying."

"D-do you believe t-that I love you?" she asks him and the question catches him off guard. Something comes over his face. They have sworn to tell no untruths to each other, although he gets by this by simply not telling her things. If he lies to her…well, he won't lie to her.

"I…want to." He says eventually and realizes how bad it sounds. His hand moves along her cheek "I'm sorry." He says "You're always asking me to believe in you and trust you and I…"

She gives him a sad smile and tries her best to move closer to him despite the pain "It's okay. I'll say it as many times as you need me to, Gaara-kun."

"No." he says and her head snaps back so fast she almost bumps into his chin – which would not have been comfortable for the sand would had blocked it and then she'd have a headache on top of everything else. He looks her in the eyes and frames her face in his hands. "I won't doubt you again." He promises and then he does something he's never done before. They have kissed before, on the hands, forehead, cheek. Gaara has a thing for kissing the back of her neck, but they have never kissed on the lips. It feels strange because he's pressing against her with more force than needed. Still, it is their first kiss and when he pulls away both of them blush horribly.

Even though they're ten –well, Gaara was eleven and Hinata's birthday was at the end of the year – they understand that 'friends' do not do those things. Boyfriends and girlfriends do and they understand this concept. It has never been an issue…until now.

Neither of them know what to say to the other, they both look shocked and embarrassed. So instead she merely moves in and buries her face in his chest. He holds her and she eventually falls asleep. They never discuss it.

xxxxx

"My, what pretty eyes you have little girl."

Complete and total fear moves through Hinata as she looks up at this pale man with the snake eyes and long black hair. His hand moves under her chin to tilt her head up. She is so scared that she is practically shaking.

How did this man know where to find her? How did he know that Gaara would be gone?

He leaves her behind when he hunts. It is not often and over the years it's become less and less with her around, but the bloodlust eventually becomes overwhelming and he must appease Mother. He hides her when he does this, so that no one can find her. Somehow, this man had known where she was. His chakra was the darkest, most twisted she has ever sensed in her life, which was saying something as her best friend has an actual demon in his body.

The snake-like man enjoys her fear, she can tell. He thrives on hurting and terrifying others. His smile is fake and she feels dirty as his hand moves over her cheek in a gentle caress.

"So you are the one who controls the demon?" he asks her and she remains silent. Those were only rumors, she holds no more control over Gaara than anyone else. She could not command him, that was not the way their relationship worked and she'd rather die than allow herself to do something like that.

"The Kazekage tells me that you two are married, that's so cute." He doesn't seem to mind that she's not speaking, he probably enjoyed the sound of his own voice. He looks down at the Suna headband around her neck and looks absolutely amused.

"You'll be taking part of the chunnin exams then?" he asks her and she continues to remain silent even though she is terrified and even though she knows that this man could kill her easily.

"I've always been intrigued by Hyuuga eyes," he moves the back of her fingers along her temple "They're always so coveted, not many main members venture out of their little hole. You don't seem to have that problem now do you, dear?"

"I don't _care_ if you're working with the Kazekage," a voice comes in "If you do not move away from her I will kill you and be damned what he wants."

The snake man stands up straight and Hinata runs right to her friend, grabbing his arm and burying her face in his shoulder.

"Did he hurt you?" he asks and she shakes her head. His eyes slide back up to the snake man.

Raising an eyebrow the man does not at all look disturbed "I was merely saying hello to your lovely wife here." He says it as if it is a joke, and to many it probably is. A twelve year old and an eleven year old married? Absurd. "I figured I'd keep her company since you were…indisposed."

"She doesn't need anyone but me." Hinata can feel his anger rising. He is going to attack and kill this man, she can sense it.

"Gaara. You know we don't go around killing our guests." The Kazekage walks over, his arms crossed. Despite his sarcastic words he is obviously not happy with the snake man "You will be responsible for whoever he kills and whatever he destroys if you keep provoking him, Orochimaru. Did you forget that he's central to your plan?"

Orochimaru waves a dismissive hand "Yes, yes, I'm well aware of the details of my _own_ plan dear Kazekage." His golden gaze slides back over to the children "Besides, it's not _them_ I want anyway in the end." With a soft, somewhat dramatic sigh he shrugs and walks past everyone, not looking back once.

"Try not to kill a legendary sannin, Gaara." His father says as he smirks and begins to walk away "Or rather, attempt to. Not even you are strong enough to defeat Orochimaru." With that he disappears around the corner.

Gaara's hands kept clenching and unclenching. Sand is swirling angrily in his gourd and his breathing begins to become ragged. He has already appeased Mother yet the rage rises again at the fact that Hinata, _his_ Hinata, had been in danger. His eyes are almost wild when he looks at her "You are not to leave my sight for any reason. Even if I hunt."

She nods, understanding. He's always tried to keep her from seeing him kill but all gloves are off at this point. Her hands move to frame his face and as he continues to look at her his anger decreases and he much rather would have her in his arms, so he embraces her. His hands move soothingly up and down her back and she feels the tension that was there loosen.

"You will never leave my sight again." He promises "I wasn't here for you and you were terrified."

She didn't bother to agree because she knew he already felt guilty about it happening in the first place. It was not the same sort of guilt that normal people had; it was a deep and gut wrenching guilt, because she is his reason for existing. They love for each other and only each other. They have been together nearly all of their lives and they share a bond not many would be able to understand. So instead she continues to bury her face in his chest and keep her arms around him, so that he knows she isn't going anywhere.

Eventually he pulls away and takes her hand "We have a mission today." He tells her "It's moronic, an escort mission."

Which meant that if anyone pissed him off he'd kill them out of sheer boredom. Who thought it would be a smart idea to send someone not known for their patience with people on an escort mission? Well, at least Baki-sensei would be there and Gaara listened to him around fifty percent of the time. Maybe with her there it would balance out.

xxxxx

Every now and then Kankuro would get a wild hair up his ass and decide to talk back to Gaara. It is usually when he's at his most obstinate that this happens, but every time it ends with Gaara almost killing his own brother. Hinata has _no_ idea why he continues to do this because he _knows_ Gaara can and will kill him. She didn't want Kankuro to die, he was sometimes nice to her. Sometimes. Usually he just ignored her or looked at her really funny, as if he didn't get how she was even still alive. Had she been anyone else it would have been a good question.

No one seemed to truly understand how deep their bond was. He would never hurt her, he'd die before he'd let that happen.

"Gaara," his older brother begins, irritated "You can't just threaten our client. We're supposed to be getting him there _safely_, not killing him."

Unfortunately, Gaara was already in a very, very,_ very _bad mood because of Orochimaru. He doesn't even warn his brother to back off, he merely slams a huge stream of sand right into his older brother's stomach, sending him flying back a few feet. She tenses, Baki is also alarmed.

"Gaara –" he begins but the boy turns to look at him, his eyes cold.

"I didn't kill him," the redhead says "so don't complain or I'll change my mind."

He doesn't. Instead he shoots Hinata a look as if she was someone who could actually control Gaara's actions and runs off to get Kankuro. It is such a common misconception; she _cannot_ control what Gaara does. He does what he wants to do and she merely supports him. That was all. If she tried to control him he would feel that she was trying to use and manipulate him, which would then translate to her not truly loving him. She simply cannot do that.

So instead she walks over and takes his hand into hers, leaning against him. It calms him down and soon they are back on the path. It is completely silent for the rest of the mission.

xxxxx

They were trying to separate them and it was pissing him off. He was aware that they needed to brief them on the plan concerning Orochimaru and Konoha. They thought that by dragging those who were involved in one by one that it would justify them pulling Hinata aside and talking to her. He knows that they will tell her to do things to him that would hurt him and their relationship. While he knows it will not work – he knows she's as devoted to him as he was to her – it still was annoying.

"No." he says simply, looking up at the unfortunate jounin bastard who was about to die if he didn't back the hell off _right now_ and stop trying to pull Hinata away from him.

The man is scared and Gaara smiles humorously at his soon-to-be prey, showing him that he _knows_ the man is scared. He doesn't care about any of these people; none of them gave a damn about him when he was a child. They all hate him; they all wish he were dead. They want to hurt him through Hinata, his reason for existing, and the more they try, the more savage he becomes.

The man blanches "It would…only be for a minute."

"Hinata." Gaara says calmly as he looks at the jounin "Look away." He makes sure that the man's screams are too muffled to affect her. He hates killing around her, she's too pure for that, but he also cannot let her out of his sight or else they will take her or do something worse to get at or control him. It was making him paranoid and antsy. He swore to protect her, no one else in the world mattered besides her. Other human beings were worthless, weak. More suited to be prey than anything else and Mother was always hungry. Hinata was his other half, they were one in the same.

He turns to her and his rage calms as he takes her in. Lately, he is not sure why but he feels different around her. It is not a bad feeling, it's more of an intimate feeling. He finds himself sometimes wanting to kiss her on the lips or move his hands along her thin frame, things that one would do when they want to be more than friends. There are other things but he tries to ignore them, he feels ashamed whenever he thinks of her in that manner. He wonders if she is feeling the same way but is hesitant to ask. Instead he puts his arms on her shoulders and pulls himself close to her. They are almost the same height now, he is only an inch or so above her. "We go in together, alright?" she nods and he takes her hand, the one that holds the same tattoo as the one on his forehead. It is rare that he holds her unmarked hand and even rarer for her to be at his side and _not_ hold her hand.

Together they walk in and no one else tries to convince Gaara to let them pull Hinata to the side again.

xxxxx

His eyes snap open and he immediately sits up in their bed and starts shaking Hinata frantically. "Hinata-chan! Hinata-chan, wake up! Something's wrong with you!"

Her face is paler than normal and even though she's awake she looks highly uncomfortable. "Um, I don't feel so good." She admits, her arms wrapping around her stomach.

"I smell blood." He says. Mother had been reacting to it and he had to calm her down. "You're hurt."

Hinata shakes her head, her groggy state shifting to awareness "I'm not hurt." She says and he regards her strangely; it seemed that she knew what was wrong with her "Um, I need to see Temari-chan."

They are up and out of bed immediately and he all but drags her to Temari's room, pounding on her door in the middle of the night.

"What the hell…Gaara!" the chunnin was completely confused and a little scared, taking a step or so back "Um, w-what…"

Grabbing Hinata's shoulders he pushes her in front of his sister "She's hurt." Is all he says. "She's says she's not but the sand smells blood on her."

Temari looks at Hinata and they seem to communicate without words. Giving the younger girl a sympathetic look she pats Hinata's head and leads her inside her room. Temari gives her a few things that he doesn't at all recognize and ushers her into the bathroom. The only reason he doesn't panic is because he knows her bathroom doesn't have windows.

"Is she alright?" he asks his sister, speaking to her civilly for the first time.

She actually smiles at him and it confuses him because she's always been nothing but afraid. "Hinata-chan is fine." Temari tells him "I guess I should give you a rundown."

His sister tells him that this will happen to Hinata once a month and it means that she could actually become pregnant, which she also explains with brutal truth and efficiency. She explains about how Hinata's body was going to start changing dramatically and would be completely different from his. He's noticed it a little, her chest had been looking different although he hadn't really thought anything about it at the time.

"You two are very close," Temari says straight up "The older you get the more you're going to want to be intimate if you continue to be as close as you are." It is a warning and he does understand. He knows what adult females look like but Hinata had never looked like that so he had thought that she was different. Apparently, they 'grow into' those things adult girls have.

"Will I still love her?" he asks although it should be a rhetorical question, he would never stop loving her, not even when she started changing.

"It might become a different kind of love." His older sister tells him and he doesn't quite understand what she means. He has only loved Hinata, what other love could there be?

When she realizes that he has no idea what she's talking about anymore she sighs "Just…be careful." She warns "You two are still really young but…you two are _much_ closer than most people are."

He doesn't care about other people so he says nothing and merely waits for Hinata. As long as she wasn't hurt he was fine. Begrudgingly, he admits to himself that his sister has, for the first time in her useless existence, been helpful and informative. Now he knows that these new of his feelings were bad, their relationship was fine the way it wa, he didn't want anything else. He definitely didn't want her to become pregnant, it would split them apart and it wouldn't be just the two of them anymore. It was not at all an appealing prospect.

She comes out eventually and he is immediately by her side, grabbing her hand. She gives Temari a small 'thank you' as he drags her out and back to their bedroom. Once there they go back to bed except he has her lie on her back and his hand gently rubs along her stomach.

"Temari says that you will sometimes hurt here." He explains to her "She says that sometimes this helps."

She gives him the smile that she only shares with him and closes her eyes "Temari-chan gave me some medicine to help but…your hand feels nice. It's warm."

"I'm sorry I can't do more." He hates it whenever she's in pain and he can do nothing about it. He always feels as if he's failing her somehow. With her eyes still closed she smiles once again.

"Being here with me is enough." She says and he curls up beside her, his face nuzzling her neck. "I only need you here with me and I'll always feel better."

This was why he loved her so much. She always let him know that he was the only one in her world, the only person she truly needed beside her. Soon she falls asleep and he watches over her as he always does.

No one else mattered. No one else existed to him except her.


	4. Chapter 4

4

Konoha looked completely different from anything he had ever encountered before. Then again, he had also never left Suna, so his range of knowledge concerning the outside world was rather limited. The entire place looked like their inside garden and of course Hinata falls in love with the place. He's a little miffed about her lack of attention towards him but he's been in a good mood lately, no one has been pissing him off and Mother has been rather silent.

Briefly, he wonders if the boy Hyuuga would be here. He knew there were a bunch of people involved but he hadn't really cared who at the time. Now there would be actual fighting and it was making him excited. Would there be anyone here who could provide a challenge for him?

Everyone split up to get an idea of the layout of the land and for any strategic positions for when the attack would come. The exams were twice a year but he had heard that they last for a while. That was the annoying part, with so many people around Mother would start wanting blood. He doesn't really give a real damn about their little plan, he just wants to see if there's anyone worthy of being killed by him.

During their walk they see the top of Kankuro's headpiece and the cry of a small child. Hinata sighs, already they were making a mess of themselves. They find Kankuro holding up a small boy who was struggling to get free. There was a blonde, a…pink haired girl – did she dye it or something? – and a black haired guy who actually looked pretty strong.

Hinata comes around the corner to stand beside Kankuro "Please put him down." She says softly "We'll get disqualified if we fight here."

He snorts at her and tilts his head at the boy "I'm not gonna hurt him." He grins "Much."

"Kankuro." Gaara comes in now, regarding the misfit group again. The black haired guy looks surprised to see him standing on the tree. Amusing. He's strong but not strong enough at that level of strength.

Nervously, his older brother turns to the redhead "Gaara…" he laughs nervously "Hey, I was just –"

"Stop being annoying." He looks over at the dark haired boy who was now openly glaring at him.

"Yeah sure, no problem." Kankuro drops the kid who scrambles back towards the blonde and the pink haired girl.

"H-hey!" the other girl steps forward "You guys, you're not from Konoha. You have to have…"

"Um, excuse me."

All eyes turn towards Hinata who looks awfully nervous now. She holds up her pass "We um, h-have permission t-to be here. W-we're here f-for the chunnin exams."

The group looks confused and Gaara is beginning to become annoyed with everyone's incompetence.

"Don't waste your breath on trash." He tells her, then to Kankuro "Don't think that just because you're my brother I won't kill you." He warns. Kankuro gulps and slowly backs away. Hinata puts away her card and gives the group a polite bow.

"E-excuse us, w-we, um, s-should be g-going to register n-now."

There was something about the black haired boy's gaze that Gaara didn't like when he focused on Hinata. It was mostly suspicious, as if he thought she was hiding something. She blinked owlishly at him a few times, confused as to why he seemed to be looking at her.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he tells them but his gaze has flickered back up to Gaara "Remember that name."

Intrigued, the redhead smiles "I am called Gaara." He disappears in a swirl of sand and reappears beside Hinata. "We have things to do." He tells her and she flashes him a smile. Even though he had been instructed not to he takes her hand, startling the people behind him. A cold killer holding the hand of a meek, shy girl who stutters?

_They have no idea what she's capable of._ He thinks, amused. _It'll be interesting to see how you will fail thinking that she's the weakest link._ And he knows they will, because how strong can a shy, stuttering girl be?

He is reluctant to admit it but he is glad that she has gone through the intensive training over the years. Her skill was just below her cousin's and even Gaara found the Hyuuga to be an interesting challenge. There would not be many here who would be able beat his Hinata and he was proud of that fact. It was only fitting that his other half also be as dangerous as he, but he'll never admit that she was right. Pride, ego and all that.

"Hey." The black haired boy again "You. The girl with the long hair."

Pausing, Hinata turns towards them without letting go of Gaara's hand. She looks at him curiously. "Y-yes?"

At first the Uchiha is scowling at her, as if he can't quite figure her out. Then suddenly he grins. "Your name." he says "Tell me your name."

The pink haired girl explodes "S-Sasuke-kun what do you need _her_ name for?" she demands "I mean, she's –"

"Enough Sakura." He deadpans at her "You don't know what you're talking about." Black eyes focus on white "You're not as weak as you look, I want to know your name."

"Hyuuga Hinata." She says softly and turns back to Gaara, leaning against his arm as they walk away from the group.

"I could kill all of them." He says once they're out of hearing range.

"I think the boy with the black hair is pretty strong." She observed "And…there is something about the blonde haired boy…" shaking her head she looks up at him "He feels like you."

Gaara abruptly stops and looks at her "What do you _mean_ he feels like me?" his grip tightens on her hand almost painfully.

But she's used to his jealousy and so she merely shakes her head "Two chakra." She elaborated "He um, has two sets of chakra, like you. W-well at least I think so…" she frowned "There's something off. It's like it's there but it's not there."

Realizing that her interest was purely on an intellectual level he continues to walk. Whenever Hinata found someone with an 'interesting' chakra she would tend to get into her moods where she'd try to figure out what that 'interesting' thing was. He decides to just let her muse on it and lets his mind focus on the prospect of finally being able to kill a worthy opponent.

xxxxx

At the hotel Temari, Kankuro, Baki, Gaara and Hinata were inside Baki's room to discuss the game plan for the moment.

"It'll be a week before the exams start. " he informs them. "We've been told to use this time to size up opponents and see who could or could not be a threat to our plans." He looked over at Gaara "Maybe you should stay here…"

"I'm not going to kill anyone right now." He tells them, sounding annoyed "There's some fighters I want to face." He gets up then and tugs her along with him as they leave the room. "I want to find that guy again." Gaara said to her "And Neji. Where is he?"

"He came along with the Hyuuga entourage." She said as she opened the door to their room. "They were a day behind us."

"Hn." He looks bored which Hinata notes as not being a good thing. His patience levels decreased drastically whenever he was bored and she would actually have to try and intervene because she wants him to be able to fight.

"Don't let the Uchiha get near you." He says, walking into their bedroom and propping himself up on the window sill "I don't like it but we might actually be separated a few times while here." He scowled "I…trust you." He says, looking out the window "I saw it today. You are strong enough." He looks at her "Just don't ever get too far away from me, alright?" he is insistent "Nothing can happen to you. Nothing."

Getting up from the bed she walks over and begins moving her fingers through his hair. He closes his eyes and leans on her, content for the moment. An arm moves around her waist and he pulls her a little closer.

"No one else matters." He says to her and she smiles, nodding.

"We don't need anyone else." She responds "And I don't want to leave your side." She says to him "It's…lonely when you're not with me. You've always been there and so…when you're gone it's…"

A hand reaches up, fingers brushing along her jaw. His jade gaze is serious "If I can help it," he says "I will never leave you alone again. I'm sorry I made you lonely before."

Shaking her head she slides her arms around him "It was necessary. Mother will try to take over if you don't and then lots more people would be killed."

"I don't care about that." He deadpans, still looking at her "But I do worry that I might accidently hurt you. When Mother is angry she…" he stops and frowns "You know when it's time you'll have to…"

"Yes." She says "Don't worry, I won't allow myself to get killed. I made a promise to stand by you so…"

Shifting to face her, he pulls her close, looking up into white eyes "Hinata-chan, do you think there are different types of love?"

"Eh?" the question catches her off guard so she is quiet for a moment "Um, yes." She responds eventually "There ares different kinds, I think."

Resting his head on her stomach he keeps his arms wrapped around her "What kinds?" he asks "I love you but…there are other things too. Temari said that there's a love that goes beyond friendship."

"O-oh." She says and he looks up at her, confused.

"You know what I'm talking about?" he inquires and she nods

"It's um, a more intimate sort of love." She blushes profusely and finds herself unable to look at him "L-like b-boyfriend and g-girlfriend stuff."

"Oh." He seems to understand "Would that be bad, Hinata-chan? Would that mean that we wouldn't be friends anymore?"

She shakes her head "No, it's like…you're friends but more. Like an upgrade."

Resting his head back on her stomach he tries to ponder her words. "Maybe we should do that then." He concludes, glad that he's hiding his face otherwise she'd see his embarrassment "If it's you, then I don't mind."

Hinata doesn't answer him and eventually he sighs, slightly disappointed. He's been wanting more and more to be closer to her but he doesn't want to scare her.

"I t-think th-that it m-might be n-nice…." She says eventually. Surprised, he looks up at her and her face is as red as his hair. He hasn't seen her that red in a long time and it makes him smile.

"We'll talk about it more when we're done with this." She nods in agreement and he is amused when she looks relieved.

xxxxx

"Neji-niisan!" Hinata waves at him a bit to catch his attention. Looking over he smiles, well, a Neji smile anyway. The one thing he immediately notices, however, is the lack of Gaara. He has never, not once, ever seen the two of them _not_ together. The redhead kept her on a tight leash.

"Hello, Hinata-sama." He says and one of his teammates, a girl with two buns on each side of her head, smiles briefly at her "I do not see Gaara with you," he observes.

"There was something they wanted him for and when I told him I wanted to look for you he told me to go ahead."

"He…did?" both Neji and the girl look absolutely shocked "I don't –"

His cousin smiles gently at him "He says so far there isn't anyone here that would be a threat to me and he knows that you wouldn't let me die."

She wasn't telling the entire truth but he didn't press her. He had a feeling that Hinata had ended up having to convince him to let her go explore while he went to a boring meeting that didn't even involve her. The fact that Gaara had _allowed_ it was nothing short of a miracle.

_Maybe he trusts her a little more…_

"Hn. So what, are you two twins or something?" the trio turn to look at the boy from earlier, Uchiha Sasuke. He looks bored with his hands in his pockets "Same hair style, same eyes…"

"I really don't think that's any of your business." Neji snaps in before Hinata can answer "Did you want something? If not, leave."

The two boys face off for a glaring contest while the two girls sigh and shake their heads. Hinata moves forward, putting a hand on Neji's shoulder to calm him "We're c-cousins." She answers shyly, pulling on Neji so she can use him as a social shield. Sasuke raises an eyebrow at this.

"You're really clingy." He observes with obvious distaste "Or is that your gimmick? The whole 'Pretend to be Shy and Innocent When I'm Really a Raving Psycho' sort of thing?"

Her cousin bristles and the brown haired girl holds him back this time. "Is that the only thing shinobi from Konoha can do? Pick on girls?"

The dark haired boy snorted "Better than little kids."

Of course, since Neji wasn't there he doesn't exactly know what he's talking about, so Hinata takes a deep mental breath and steps up to where her cousin was standing.

"Neji-niisan h-has a p-point." She stammers out "D-do y-you want s-something?"

Once again he regards her seriously, as if she's some sort of puzzle that he can't figure out. Then he shrugs and all of a sudden looks completely indifferent "Not really. This is the path I take to get to my district."

She takes two steps back "Oh." She says softly and looks away. This boy was very intimidating. Not as intimidating as Gaara, but intimidating enough.

"Oi!" came a loud cry from around the corner. With an exasperated sigh Sasuke puts his hand over his face at the noise. "Oi! Sasuke! Where are you, you bastard?"

The blonde haired boy wearing that ridiculous orange get up from earlier bursts from around the corner and then runs up to, Hinata was assuming at this point, his team mate. Blue eyes scan over the Suna crowd and then settle on Hinata.

"Hey!" he pointed at her as if she didn't know who she was "You're that cute girl from earlier!"

Stiffening, her eyes widened and her face turned red "W-what?"

Sasuke smacks the blonde on the back of the head "Stupid. Didn't you see the fact that she's obviously that guy Gaara's girlfriend earlier today?"

"Who?" the blonde looks very confused. Sasuke looks as if he wants to hit him again.

"Um." Hinata interjects, her face still a bright shade of red "Gaara-kun i-is my b-best f-friend."

Poking Sasuke he grins "See see? He wasn't her boyfriend after all."

A dark sensation moved through the street and suddenly the redhead was behind Naruto. Sasuke jumped back and Hinata saw his eyes flash from black to red. A bloodline limit? She had never seen any others besides hers.

"That doesn't give you permission to pursue her." He says low, his expression one of definite anger.

Jumping back, blue eyes widen at the incredibly angry-looking redhead and sand pouring out of his gourd. Sasuke moves into a defensive position.

"We're not here to fight you." He says to Gaara "My team mate is just an idiot."

Slowly, he turned his gaze to the Uchiha and smiled humorlessly "So then, if he's such an idiot, you won't mind if I kill him, do you?"

"Tch. I need him to get through the exams, if you kill him, we don't get to fight."

The smile fades into an expressionless mask. Slowly sand moves back into the gourd and the cork seals it. He brushes past the blonde who is actually looking a little frightened. It wasn't hard to do, Gaara would have killed him under normal circumstances.

"Let me make one thing _very_ clear." Standing beside Hinata he takes hold of her hand "Hinata is mine. I will kill anyone who tries to get near her, chunnin exam or not." He looked down at her "She doesn't need anyone else but me." Without another word, he turns and brushes past Neji, Hinata right behind him. His hand is squeezing hers to the point where it hurts.

"G-Gaara-kun…"

"I don't want to see you around them anymore." He snaps at her "You said you were going to see Neji and that was it." He stops and looks at her "Why were those other guys there talking to you, talking _about_ you?"

He's angry with her. She has seen him be many things towards her but angry was not one of them. It frightens her because she doesn't know what he'll do or what to say.

His hands grab her shoulders and push her against the wooden fence "Why were they there, Hinata? I want an answer."

She shakes her head "Th-they showed up." She whispers "T-the Uchiha said that his district was t-that way and then the blonde came around looking for him and…" she trails off, blinking back tears. He's never been angry with her before and it's devastating to her "I'm…sorry."

For a while he doesn't answer her and silent tears fall as she keeps her head down. Moving one hand off of her shoulder he tilts her head up to look at him. His eyes widen slightly at her tears and then his hands are framing her face "Hinata, don't cry." He says reassuringly "I'm not mad anymore, okay? Just…stay away from them. Please."

"Y-you've never b-been angry with me…" she sobs and buries her face in her hands. Her friend makes a strangled noise and then she's in his arms. She cries against his chest openly now and he takes a hand and strokes her hair.

"This place…" he begins "It makes me edgy." His arms tighten around her "I'm sorry I made you cry Hinata-chan. I won't do it again. I'm not…angry at you. I'm angry at the fact that they were trying to take you away from me."

"But I wouldn't –" he nods, cutting her off.

"I know." He says and then sighs "That blonde called you cute and then was acting like he…" his grip tightens again "We belong to each other, no one else." He reminds her "I know I promised you that you could go out on your own but I don't think that would be a good idea anymore."

Understanding, she nods, her sobs now down to sniffles "I'm sorry." She says, her voice watery.

"It's not your fault." He says lightly "It's theirs. I don't want you to go anywhere without me anymore. I couldn't stop worrying about you and I don't like it when you're not near."

She nods sadly "I promise."

xxxxx

The trio stood outside the gate leading into the forest of death. Kankuro raised an eyebrow at the scroll they have.

"So we just gotta get a white one?" the puppet master asks. "Doesn't sound too hard to me." He tosses the scroll to Hinata "You carry it."

She fumbled a bit before she caught it and put it in her bag "Alright."

Taking her hand Gaara brushes past Kankuro "Just stay out of my way." He says "If you don't, you'll die."

Being in a forest was very strange to Hinata, she had never seen so many trees and green before. Remembering that she's supposed to be scouting she activates her Byakugan, looking around.

"I don't see anyone in our immediate vicinity." She tells the boys.

"Then we'll have to go find them." Kankuro says, shrugging.

"But they have to have the other scroll." She reminds him.

"It doesn't matter to me which scroll they have." The redhead comes in "Anyone who gets in my way will die." The grin that emerges on his face makes Kankuro take a step back in alarm "I can kill anyone I want and it won't matter, no one will say anything." He sounds extremely pleased about this.

When Gaara became bloodthirsty there was little anyone could do or say, even her. His thirst for killing was not something she was immune to, it does bother her. It bothers her because she knows it's the demon trying to influence him, that person isn't the real Gaara. The real Gaara was the one that loved her and was kind to her. He was extremely possessive but if it were the other way around she would be hurt if he were around females, so she could understand.

"Maybe I should have told them you were my boyfriend…" she muses silently to herself. Kankuro doesn't hear it, Gaara does. Leaning towards her he turns his head a bit in her direction.

"I could be." His voice sounds guarded "I should be." He insists "I want to be. I love you."

Looking up at him she realizes that his feelings for her truly have changed, although not in a bad way. She does feel very shy about it but this was Gaara so it would be okay, right?

"Okay." She finally says. He stops walking and signals Kankuro to keep going. When his brother is out of hearing range he turns his full attention to her.

"Are you sure?" his expression is impassive but she nods.

"Yes. Because, I love you too. So, it's okay as long as it's you."

Something rustles and immediately his arms were around her defensively while his sand began flowing from the gourd.

"There's three of them." She says, her eyes spotting them easily. "Kankuro isn't that far away. I could call for him…"

"No." he's not looking at her but she knows he's grinning. It was not the boyish grin he gives her when they're alone, it was the grin that emerged when there was 'prey' around. Shortly the expression becomes one of indifference as three males from Ame emerge around them. They all hold packs with umbrellas which Hinata finds to be somewhat funny for some odd reason.

The three men are grinning at the two of them, thinking them to be weak because they are small and young. Letting her go, Gaara takes a step forward, his expression impassive.

"Do you have the heaven scroll?" the redhead asks although it wouldn't really matter if they did or not, he was still going to kill them. Apparently, these men knew nothing about detecting chakra otherwise they would have realized that they were _way_ out of their league.

"And if we do?" the one that seems like the ring leader asks "What do you plan on doing about it, kid?"

Producing their black scroll, she keeps her expression blank "Then, if you…don't mind, we would like to have it." She places hers back into her pack and the three men look at her incredulously.

"Is this girl serious?" one of the other men asks and the other two laugh.

"Little girl," the ring leader begins again "If you give us that scroll we'll let you walk away from here alive."

"Barely." One of the other mutters and as they're chuckling there is a loud popping sound. Looking over at Gaara, they stare curiously at the sand flowing from the gourd behind his back.

Kankuro has emerged and stands a bit behind Hinata, expression grim.

"Listen," the leader continues "We will only ask this once more. Give us the earth scroll and we'll let you live."

Kankuro snorts and inwardly Hinata sighs. Being born and raised in the harsh environment of Suna death was nothing new to her but that didn't mean she liked it. She doesn't like the fact that the demon controls Gaara like it does. She would never leave him, but that didn't mean she liked seeing this side of him.

Instead of answering, cold green eyes merely continue to stare. Taking that as their cue to attack they grab their umbrellas and perform some sort of weird jutsu where black senbon-type needles showered the entire area. Smoke rises as the needles all strike at Gaara and the three shinobi pause for a moment to admire their handiwork. Grins quickly turn into expressions of confusion and horror as they looked at the boy who had his arms crossed, still glaring at them, with a shield of sand surrounding him. There is not a scratch on him and if anything, Hinata can tell that he looks bored.

The needles drop harmlessly to the ground as the shield falls. His expression is cold, merciless. "I'll show you," he begins "how to make it rain. Rain of blood."

The men find that they can no longer move as sand quickly envelops their bodies, rising up into the air. "Sabaku Kyu." He says calmly and the sand hardens, rendering the three men completely immobile. Slowly, he walks over and picks up a discarded umbrella.

"Hinata."

She walks over to him as his hand is shifting for the final technique. Her expression is also grim. She was from Suna, she understood death, she understood that these men knew what they had been getting into when they entered the forest. It was not them she concerned herself with, it is Gaara, her Gaara. This was the first time he has been allowed to kill indiscriminately without having to worry about someone berating or asking him not to do it. It gives her a bad feeling, she thinks the demon will try to take advantage of this, of him.

His hand clenches into a fist "Sabaku Soso." He says calmly, opening the umbrella and pulling Hinata to his side. The bodies drop and it does indeed begin to rain blood. He looks at her briefly, taking in her bland expression.

"This is not something for eyes like yours." He says softly to her and he presses her head against his shoulder "Does it disgust you, Hinata?" he asks her and she flinches, looking up at him. His face is unreadable "Do I disgust you?"

"Please do not ask me such insulting questions." She says firmly, making his eyes widen slightly. The 'rain' has stopped and she turns away from him "You promised you would trust and have faith in me." She was not angry but she has finally come to a point where she can no longer accept his lack of trust in her. So, she was giving him tough love. "You…still doubt me, my feelings for you." She takes two steps before his hand grabs her wrist tightly, stopping her. There is silence.

"Are you angry with me, Hinata-chan?" it is asked softly and she can hear the slight fear in his voice. She has never been angry with him, not ever. He tugs and turns her toward him, trying to look at her face. Hinata looks sad and his expression changed. Tugging her again, he pulled her close, dropping the umbrella to put his arms around her. "Have I finally angered you, Hinata-chan?"

Slowly, she shakes her head "It…just hurts." She admits "Because I love you and yet…"

He surprises her when he actually kisses her, to the point where she merely stands there with her eyes wide, body stiff. Quickly, he pulls away, sorrow in his eyes.

"I…" he pauses. He wants to say that he'll promise to trust her but he has said that many, many times. "I'll try harder." It is all he can give her, because he can't help but to constantly doubt, to worry, to fear. Mother kept him feeling anxious and then at times it seemed that she didn't need him as much as he needed her. She's so kind and people are drawn to her like he is. Sometimes he thinks that because she is so kind that she will leave him, because he is not kind, he is not gentle, he is not pure. Not like her. He doubts even though she has been by his side for almost seven years. "It's not because of you, you know that."

Instead of saying anything she instead takes his hand, showing that all is forgiven. He is relieved, he would never want to make Hinata angry with him. She was…his entire reason for being. She was his other half and he truly did love her.

_I will have to try harder._ He thinks _I can't keep making her sad._

They are the first ones to the tower, apparently some sort of record or another according to some of the exam proctors. Hinata thought it was pretty interesting but Gaara and Kankuro seemed completely uninterested.

"We'll have to wait." Gaara mutters, realizing that the other teams will take much longer to arrive. He does not sound pleased. More than likely, he would quickly become bored and his mood more volatile.

With a mental sigh she tugs on his hand slightly to get his attention. She flashes him a nervous smile "Will you…cheer for me?" she asks "When I fight?"

Once again he surprises her by pulling her close and kissing her softly. He was taking the 'boyfriend/girlfriend' thing seriously it seemed. "There is no one here that can defeat you." He says softly "With the exception of your cousin."

She raised an eyebrow "You are not concerned about the Uchiha?" he had seemed rather interested in the boy earlier.

He gives her a somewhat angry and suspicious look before he remembers his promise and turns his gaze away "Unless he's spontaneously gained an incredible amount of power I do not see him defeating Neji, meaning he could not defeat you and certainly not me." When she frowns in thought he looks at her "You do not believe so?"

"It's not that…" the frown deepens "Besides Neji-niisan I believe that the Uchiha and the boy that we saw earlier known as Rock Lee are stronger than they appear. Rock Lee's movements are…" she shakes her head and gives him a smile "I'm over thinking things, I'm sorry."

Pulling her close he kisses her again "You worry too much."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** Apologies for the lateness.

**5**

The Uchiha disappeared for some reason or another and then everyone was informed that because there were so many people that had made it that they were going to do preliminaries before the final part of the exam. Versus battles, completely random.

"I will forfeit if I have to go against you Gaara-kun." Hinata tells him and he looks at her for a long moment before smiling briefly.

"Always so self-sacrificing." He says. She returns his smile.

"For Gaara-kun, I would do anything." She admits and a flash of happiness and guilt crosses his features. "You are the only one who matters."

They are standing at the top of the ring while some random shinobi fight each other for the right to proceed. He squeezes her hand. He looks as if he wants to say something but changes his mind.

"Will you forfeit if it's you against me Hyuuga?" Kankuro asks, grinning slightly.

"You would need to forfeit to her, if anything." Gaara says blandly "Hope you're not paired against the other Hyuuga." His older brother scowls at this and Hinata says nothing. She would not forfeit, the challenge would be good but she felt that Gaara tended to exaggerate her skills.

"Whatever," Kankuro puts his hands in his pockets and begins to walk towards the other side where the Konoha shinobi are. "I'm going to go do some reconnaissance. Don't wait up for me."

The redhead looks bored and is staring off into nothing when Kankuro walks up to the blonde who had called her 'cute' earlier. She had felt so embarrassed, no other boy had ever called her pretty or cute besides Gaara. It had been completely unexpected.

"Hey!" the object of her thoughts suddenly yelled out loud. Blinking, she looks over and sure enough, he is grinning and waving at her. "Hinata-chan! You made it!"

"Why is he speaking to you with such familiarity?" Gaara was no longer staring out into space; the words came out through his teeth "He is beginning to seriously annoy me." His gaze snaps to her and he scowls at the slight tint to her cheeks "Do you like him?"

Looking up at him she frowns slightly "He is strange, but I love you, Gaara-kun. I have never seen someone like him before."

Obviously, he does not like her observation but he forces himself to look back out into nothing, his grip on her hand tight. Smiling, she leans against him and smiles, at least he was trying. Under normal circumstances she would have had to seriously calm him down from a jealous rage.

"Hyuuga Hinata versus Tenten!"

"Oh." Hinata looks at the board with her name, she was indeed going against a fellow Suna shinobi, right off the bat too. "She specializes in taijutsu too."

The redhead snorted "She's a weapons master. That shouldn't be a problem for you. Be quick about it."

Landing inside the ring she takes in the short haired brunette and the two girls smile at each other.

"Go Hinata-chan!" she hears the blonde call and she can't help but to giggle at his silliness. Really, who cheered for someone from another village who they barely even knew?

"Are you ready, Hinata-san?" Tenten asks and she nods.

The battle begins with three kunai being thrown in her direction at once with high accuracy. It was said that Tenten never missed a target; the Hyuuga briefly wondered if that included moving targets as well.

The one thing Neji and Ko-sensei had forced her to work on was her speed. She was not a naturally strong person, so speed and precision would be her asset. Speed was also something she would need as a short ranged fighter, especially against someone who could keep her at a distance.

Remembering the plan between her and Neji she activates her Byakugan and runs, dodging the various amounts of weapons being flung in her direction. A few slice through cloth but nothing serious. Tenten is aware that if Hinata gets too close it's over, so she immediately begins to pull out her trump card. With a scroll in hand she bites her thumb, spreading her blood along the paper. Hinata's eyes widen when a rather absurd amount of weapons fly in her direction. She cannot avoid them all and she can't use 'that' technique yet…

_That…hurt…_ she thinks miserably after the attack, her body cut and bruised in various locations. Gaara is pissed; she can actually feel his anger from where she was standing. He knew she could have easily stopped those weapons and he doesn't know why she didn't. It would _not_ be fun explaining that to him and she would probably have to lie because he wouldn't like the truth. She did not like telling him untruths but he had broken that promise a long time ago and so, when necessary, she did as well.

However, Hinata had moved forward, not backward, so when the smoke had cleared and the blades were on the ground the Hyuuga girl emerged. She did not use the Hakke Rokujuyon Sho, instead she cut off every vital chakra point that enabled Tenten to move her arms and legs. The girl falls to the ground hard and the match is over in less than five minutes.

"I fail to understand how you even have a cut on your body," Gaara began as he watched her wrap the last of the bandages "when you have a defense that is on par with _mine_."

Oh yeah, he's pissed.

"I want to save those techniques for the finals." She explained and it was the truth. "All of the important Hyuuga are here, including father. I don't want them to know until then."

He did not approve. Gaara never did enjoy her getting hurt and it was more than just because he cared for her. Her health and physical well-being was extremely important to him, because she was the one who validated his existence, no one else mattered. Without her, however, he would be lost, without a purpose, and that frightens him. She is his strength and she is his weakness.

"Hinata-chan!" a voice calls and alarm spreads through her. It was the blonde again, running over to her and waving, more than likely to congratulate her on winning her match. She abruptly stands; he needs to leave, Gaara was already in a horrible mood and had been edgy since arriving in the village. She does not look behind her as she closes the distance between the two of them, she merely tries to signal to the other boy that he needs to stop and go. Apparently, he was not the brightest crayon in the box because he takes this as her encouraging him to come over.

"You were awesome Hinata-chan!" he is the same height as her with the bluest eyes she has ever seen. She prefers Gaara's cool green but this boy's eyes are nice as well. He was nice, she would have liked him if she had been able to have him as a friend. Unfortunately, it was not possible. She would like to have friends, but none of that would be important if it meant not being with Gaara. "Where'd you learn how to fight like that?"

He grabs her shoulders, giving her a huge grin. She returns it slightly before she is yanked back and behind Gaara. He is glaring at the boy.

"You must have a death wish," he begins "I thought I made it clear that Hinata is _mine_."

The boy frowns at that "You make it sound like she's your property instead of your girlfriend." He doesn't seem very pleased about his observation. "She seems like a really sweet person and it's like she's a special toy to you or something." The boy's eyes take on this strange squinty look, making him look like some sort of animal, she couldn't tell which. "Why won't you let Hinata-chan have friends?"

At first Gaara just stares at him. Some of it is in shock. No one has ever spoken back to him about Hinata, and certainly not in that manner. Then the rage emerges and Hinata actually grabs onto his arm before he strikes at the other boy.

"She doesn't need anyone but me!" he shouts, gaining the attention of everyone else on the platform "_I'm_ the only one who matters!"

The boy was becoming unstable. Sand is pouring from the gourd and slowly moving towards Naruto, who was stunned by the violent reaction.

"Oh, so sorry about that." A silver haired man emerges from what seems to be thin air and picks Naruto up, covering the boy's mouth. He was obviously a jounin and Hinata feels that the protector covering his eye was not because he is blind. There was a strange foreign sensation coming from him but she didn't want to activate her Byakugan and draw unneeded attention to herself. "I really should put a leash on him, he's always running off."

"If he comes near Hinata again," Gaara says to the man calmly, coldly "I will kill him."

The man smiles nervously behind his mask although it seems forced, as if he's not really afraid at all "Right, right, so sorry. C'mon Naruto, you're making Sakura-chan worry about you."

Hinata looks over to the pink haired girl who looks more like she wants to murder him. Gaara turns to her when they're out of hearing range.

"Do you like him?" he's asked her this question before. In truth, she does think Naruto is funny and nice, but if she told Gaara that he would go over there and kill him.

"_Why won't you let Hinata-chan have friends?"_

For the first time in her life, she feels seriously exasperated with her long time friend and now boyfriend. She loves Gaara, she loves him immensely, but it definitely was trying how her very personality and nature seemed to always be directly at odds with his. She was a kind person and despite her anger towards her family she did like others, such as Neji and Ko. But she wasn't allowed to hold any sort of real bonds with these people because if she did, Gaara would kill them. She wonders if maybe she's bad for him, she's always making him upset or jealous because she can't help but to want to be around others.

"No, I don't." she says it softly and sadly and walks away from him without looking up.

"Hinata-chan?" he is surprised and confused, he doesn't understand why she's upset. He who should know her inside and out. But he doesn't trust her and it was hurting too much at this point. He doesn't trust her not to leave him. How could one love without trust?

Something sharp hits her chest and she has to fight back unexpected tears. Turning, she looks at him, eyes shining with unshed tears and her expression a mixture of realization, hurt, and pain.

He doesn't love her. He never has.

His eyes widen at her in alarm. Something was seriously wrong. He goes to make a step towards her but then realizes that he was next. Deciding that he would talk to her about it later, he empties his mind and focuses on the fight. It was with the boy named Rock Lee, the boy Hinata had been wary of earlier.

Unfortunately, he couldn't shake the look his Hinata just gave him. He'd never seen her look so…broken. She had that look he had held as a child when someone had hurt him emotionally. Had he…hurt her? He was now confused and his confusion turns into rage as he faces this boy with the ridiculous green outfit. Hinata had never had a reason to look at him like that until coming here. He was beginning to seriously hate this place, because he was suddenly gripped with a strong fear. This place…these people…they were pulling her away from him, she was slipping through his fingers, he could feel it. He would hurry and kill these people, finish the mission and take her back to where she belonged. He couldn't lose her, he _couldn't_.

For the first time, not only had Gaara been hit, he had been knocked down. The boy known as Rock Lee had done the unthinkable and he was only thirteen years old. Still, it had not been enough to seriously damage him although he had ended up having to use a considerable amount of chakra and it would be a little while before he could really move at one hundred percent. For the first time in his life Gaara…hurt. He had felt pain and he did not enjoy the sensation, he didn't like it at all. How did Hinata deal with it during training sessions? It felt agonizing.

Speaking of Hinata, she has not spoken to him since joining him in the infirmary. She was sitting in the chair beside his bed, peeling an apple for him. Her eyes are blank, like the time when he had first met her on that rooftop years ago. Real panic begins to wash over him. She has never looked like this, and he knew she was looking like that because of him. Somehow, he has seriously hurt his other half.

Finished with the apple she slices it and sets it on his tray where he can reach for it if he wants to. She does not look at him, her eyes stay glued to the floor. It was obvious that she had been crying earlier.

"Hinata…" he reaches for her hand and for a moment he fears that she will not take it. "Hinata," it is said more urgently, his fear laced within. She couldn't be that upset with him…she wouldn't…leave him…would she? Was she that upset? "Hinata -"

Those beautiful white eyes that he loves so much blink up at him and once again they are shining with tears. "Gaara-kun," she begins, her voice watery "Do you believe that you need trust in order to love?"

The question confuses him, the answer was obvious "Yes," he says "that is why I've been trying harder, I don't want you to think that I don't…"

Then he gets it, the words beneath the words. It has to be it, there would be no other reason for her to look so completely heartbroken and pained.

Tears fall and she wipes at her face "I…I have never left you," she begins shakily "I learned to fight for you, I've been so loyal to you, you have been my entire world. So why Gaara-kun? You've never trusted me, not ever and…that means you've never lov –"

"No!" he shouts at her, sitting up in the bed, ignoring the pain in his limbs "Hinata, do not say things like that, you know that's not true."

"Isn't it?" she asks and true pain fills his heart when her hand moves over her own. "Every time you haven't trusted in me or held faith in me it's…it's hurt. Here. There is nothing I can do to make you trust me s-so how could you possibly love me? T-there doesn't seem to b-be room for me in your heart."

"My entire existence _is_ _you_!" he shifts, moving so that he is facing her "Without you I have no purpose, I have no meaning. You are _everything_ to me, how could I not love you? It's not that I don't trust you, it's that if I don't have you I have nothing. I'm afraid." He admits it finally and turns his head when she looks up at him "What would happen if you were killed? Or if someone took you away? What would be my purpose? Why would I exist if not to love you? I'm…a monster remember?" he does look at her now "You have been the only one to love me and the fear of losing you is overwhelming. I'm afraid to share you, I'm afraid you'll find them to be better than a monster, or perhaps someone betrays you or hurts you to get to me? You are all I live for, without you, what am I?"

Slowly she rises but he does not speak and he does not look up at her. How could he get her to see? The fact that she felt that he didn't love her, the pain in her eyes, he is afraid of that as well. What if…the damage was too large to fix? What if…she didn't believe him and truly continued to think that he doesn't love her? Would she leave? He…he wouldn't be able to…

Arms wrap around him and she buries her face in his shoulder. She is crying.

"I-I'm so sorry Gaara-kun!" she sobs, her arms tightening around him "I should have known…of course you love me…for me to doubt…"

His own arms wrap around her tightly, relieved that he was able to make her understand. "We will love each other and only each other." He says.

"No one else matters but us." She finishes and he pulls her onto the bed with him, pulling her close.

"I am sorry my anger and jealousy has caused you to believe I don't care." He says to her, kissing the top of her head "I will always love you, Hinata. I do believe you love me, I wouldn't be able to be with you if I didn't. I will try harder, whatever I have to do, I can't lose you."

Looking up at him she places her hand on his cheek and then kisses him. He does not allow her to pull away, instead he wraps his arms tighter around her, and returns her kiss with hard passion, an effort to try and show her that yes, he does love her, more than anything else. They part after a long moment, breathless. He pulls her closer.

"I will make it up to you when we return." He promises her "Whatever you would like, it is yours."

Shaking her head, her small hands clench his shirt "I just want you." She says against his chest and the guilt hits him once more. He had been hurting her for so long; when they returned he would definitely make it up to her, he just had to figure out how.

One day, while they were on their one month break from the exams, Gaara returned to the hotel looking…intrigued. He had actually left Hinata behind, trying to give her space in an attempt to show her that he did in fact trust her. He _hated_ leaving her alone but the small smile she had given him made it worth it. She should always be smiling at him, not crying.

"You might have been right about Uchiha Sasuke," he tells her while they're in their room. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed; looking at her while she sat on the bed. Her eyes looked a little bleary so she had probably been napping. He gave her a brief smile, he did not sleep but he had always enjoyed watching her, taking in her serenity. It was something he would never be able to accomplish so it only made sense that his other half would balance them even in that.

"Who?" she asks sleepily and his smile widens slightly. A few rapid blinks and recognition lights her white eyes "Oh, the boy with the bloodline limit." She yawned and he crossed over to her, sitting down and wrapping an arm around her waist. He briefly wondered if he should tell her that he finds her to be beautiful, he has never said such things before. He has called her cute and pretty but never in a deep romantic sense. More than likely, she would blush, which he didn't mind, he loved how it made her look.

"Yes. I saw him today, he was working on a jutsu with that silver-haired jounin." He told her "His eyes…they are filled with anger, pain, and betrayal."

"I have heard that the majority of the Uchiha clan were either exiled or executed for acts of treason," she told him "Temari-san and I did a little research while you were out because she is saying that people have been making a very huge deal about how he's an Uchiha. Apparently, there are only five families from Uchiha that are still in the village, his family is one."

"Ah." He smiled slyly at her "So you weren't sleeping this entire time." She lightly pushes him and he only wraps his other arm around her, pulling them backwards to lie on the bed. "I've heard the name Uchiha Itachi often." He admits to her "They call him a traitor."

"The Uchiha do." She tells him "Apparently, there was supposed to be a coup and he 'sold them out'. So all guilty parties were executed and the remaining were banished. He is considered an outcast in his own clan."

"Hm." Was all he said "You're an outcast."

Nodding, she snuggles closer to him "Yes. But um, that's because your father tricked us into getting married."

In response he kisses her deeply, surprising her. When he pulls away there is a very strange look in his eyes, a very intense look "I do not mind being married to you."

Smiling, she nods "I…I don't mind it either." She blushes, looking down shyly.

She can feel his gaze on her still and when she looks up his lips close over hers again, a hand moving up her side. Hinata is pulled closer and another hand moves up her back. He does not part, in fact he seems to be shifting his body until he is halfway on top of her. This alarms and frightens her because it is very new and he is acting very strangely.

Then he does part from her and she can feel him kissing down her neck and she gasps, still a little afraid. "G-Gaara?" her voice is shaky.

He suddenly jerks away from her, a mixture of confusion and shock on his face. So it would seem that he had been as surprised about his actions as she had been. He was still sitting beside her but was looking down at his lap, still confused. Why had he started doing that? He had been staring at her and then the next thing he knew he just wanted…he wasn't sure but it had been something intimate, that much he understood.

"…I'm sorry." He says, his voice sounding a bit distant "I don't know why I did that." The fact that he wanted to do it again wasn't something he was going to tell her. Obviously something was wrong with him. It had to be this place, he hadn't started acting so strangely until he had arrived here.

"It's okay." She says and sits up, her face a bright red "Um, I guess…it's okay since…we're…you know."

His gaze is impassive as he looks at her. She is nervous and uncomfortable and that tells him all he needs to know. He has known Hinata for as long as he can remember and the last thing he has ever wanted was her discomfort. He would need to put a clamp down on whatever it was that was causing him to act strangely until she was at a point where she wouldn't mind it. Whatever 'it' would have been.

"Next match is, Hyuuga Hinata versus Hyuuga Neji!"

"_You should forfeit." Gaara says when the matches are announced "If you go against him –"_

_He stops when he notices her demure smile, that smile that told him she knew something he didn't and was planning something she but wasn't going to tell him. Around her he is trying to control himself better, so he merely glances at her instead of becoming upset as he normally would have._

"_I have to go against Neji-niisan," she says to him "In fact, it's essential."_

_A hairless brow raises "Essential?"_

_A small nod "Essential to changing the clan."_

The arena was twice the size of the ring they had fought in a month ago. More than likely it would be unnecessary space, the two taijutsu users were close ranged combatants. Her cousin stood a few feet from her, his face impassive, devoid of all emotion. Her face shows a bit of uncertainty although in reality she feels excited. She has wanted this for a very long time, ever since she realized that she was actually good and not the failure she had been told she was growing into. He has praised her on her skills more than once and looking at him she can tell, despite the lack of emotion, that he is just as excited as she. Training and sparring were one thing, this time, they would go all out.

"_Are you insane?" Neji asked her, not even bothering to be polite because of her position "Never mind…that should be a rhetorical question considering the company you keep. In any case, you can't be serious, Hinata-sama."_

_A little miffed she pouted slightly and shook her head, pale eyes filled with determination "No, Neji-niisan it will work! If we do this, it'll be the start of change for the Hyuuga."_

_He shook his head "How can you even feel an attachment for the clan that abandoned you and called you an outcast?"_

"_Because I am a Hyuuga and you are a Hyuuga and…I love you Neji-niisan. The clan has to change or you'll never be happy."_

_He was very glad Gaara was out hunting, otherwise he could have killed him and possibly turned on Hinata for uttering such words. "Hinata-sama, what you are speaking of is very risky."_

"_It will work." She was being stubborn and so he had no choice but to go along with her schemes. She was normally not that determined unless it was something extremely important to her. "Even though I'm an outcast socially, I was still heir when the Kazekage tricked Gaara-kun and me into that marriage contract, meaning that I am still officially a member of the clan. Not only that, but the daughter of the clan head of the main house. The fact that I'm where I'm at because of two 'branch' members will be a firm slap in the face for them, when they see what you can do…it won't do anything at first, it'll take time, but I'm positive this will help change the clan. They will be unable to claim that the branch members are inferior."_

"_What do you get out of this, Hinata-sama?" he sighs "This entire plan, which is insane by the way, does nothing but make the branch house look good. You throw the fight and –"_

"_No," she explains "because I will show them a bit of what we learned, the techniques that we weren't supposed to know, the ones we learned on our own. You'll beat me, but…" she smiled "I will not hold back, Neji-niisan. I will show you and Ko-san the fruits of your labors in training this outcast. It would only be fitting that the master defeat the student," her smile was wry "and it's not really throwing the fight because you'd win either way."_

"_What of Gaara? Will you tell him?"_

_She shakes her head "He…wouldn't understand." She says sadly "B-but I will make him understand. He'll try to convince me to forfeit because you're the stronger fighter and I'll convince him to let me fight and not to go after you if you win. If I tell him how much this will mean to me, Gaara-kun will understand. He's been understanding all these years with our training, even if he hasn't liked it."_

_Her cousin sighed "I…what makes you think this will change anything? Nothing you or I do will change the way things are, it is predestined."_

"_Well then…I should be weak still, right?" he blinks at her "When I left the clan, I was branded as weak, it had already been determined that I wasn't going to be a good shinobi. But…look at me. A-and you Neji-niisan…I know you may not believe me but…indulge me?" she gave him her best 'I'm cute and I love everyone' smile and he sighed once more._

"_You will not hold back?"_

"_No."_

_There was a long pause, then he smiled at her, a genuine smile "I will look forward to it then."_

"Neji-niisan." Hinata greets, she seems a little nervous but he knows it's not nerves, it's excitement. She has trained very hard to reach this point, _they_ have trained her hard to reach this point. It wasn't just for the clan that she was doing this, she wants to show him how well his training has been for her. Perhaps she wants to make him proud. The fact that she is actually on a level where she would be a challenge is nothing short of astronomical as far as the clan would be concerned.

Slowly, he smiled. It was definitely good that she had left the clan. She never would have become the person she was now, they wouldn't have let her. Now, because she left and because _branch_ members trained her she was highly skilled. In a way, she was rubbing it in their faces, that they had not only underestimated her, but the capabilities of the branch house as well. That was his cousin, the quiet girl with a will and determination made of steel. She was also self-sacrificing and loving. He's grateful he let go of his initial hatred of her.

The two shift into offensive stances, white lavender staring into white silver. She is also smiling. Yes, he is curious as to just how far she's truly come because if he knows anything, it's that she hasn't been showing him her full potential…just like he taught her.

The proctor raises his arm and lowers it "Begin!" he shouts.

"Byakugan!" the two cry out at the same time and then charge.


	6. Chapter 6

6

"_Hinata-sama," Neji said to her one day "I would like to give you a piece of advice." When he has her full attention he continues "There will come a day where we will spar and you will begin to realize that you are perhaps faster, or there is an opening I might not even be aware of. One day, you will realize that you are skilled, so much so that you could possibly be on par with me." She shook her head but he merely raised a hand to stop her protest "When this happens, do not tell me. Do not tell anyone. Once you have exceeded our expectations continue on your own, but never show us."_

_This obviously confused her "I…don't understand." She admits "How will I know if I'm doing good if…"_

"_You will know." Her cousin tells her "Listen to me, Hinata-sama. One day the two of us may have to fight for real, there are the chunnin exams amongst other things. As your sensei, I know everything that I have taught you and I know how to counter. Anything _you_ come up with on your own will throw me off guard and that could be the difference between a loss and a win. Never let someone know just how powerful you are until it is absolutely necessary, do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"_

_A thoughtful frown emerges for a moment before she nods "I will do my best Neji-niisan."_

"_Good." He smiles thinly "If that day comes, where we will have to fight seriously, I look forward to seeing what you've come up with."_

The lowly branch member and the outcast closed the distance and…danced.

At least, that wass what it looked like, a deadly dance. Both had incredible speed and agility, their movements looked almost choreographed and yet the Hyuuga entourage looking down at the two knew better. They can see the skill in the branch member, the Hyuuga prodigy, the genius. In a Juuken match there were grown men who could not defeat the young man and the failure of the clan was actually, _seriously_ trading blow for blow with him. Their speed is uncanny, concentration fierce and as Hyuuga Hiashi sits in the stands with his second born he frowns in thought at the two. How had two branch members, regardless if one was a supposed genius, been able to get Hinata, his daughter that had held absolutely no skills in the Juuken as a child, to this point?

She had been holding back on him concerning how fast she had actually become, Neji realized. A smirk emerges when he realizes that she took his advice from a few years back to heart. Openings that she had shown in training were gone; certain movements that had seemed slightly jerky were fluid and graceful. Neither had been able to land a solid blow to the other and he was not, to his pleasure, holding back. He cannot help the sense of pride that moves through him, he had trained her after all.

The two break, jumping back. Quickly he reaches into his pack and throws three shuriken in her direction, just to see what she would do. She could very well use the Kaiten simply to show it off but he had a feeling that she would want to show him her own moves, as he had encouraged her to develop.

She did not disappoint.

It was similar to the Kaiten except for the fact that the shield was created solely through the palms of her hands. "Shugo Hakke Rokujuyon Sho!" was the name of her specialized technique and he couldn't believe the amount of chakra control she could wield to create something on par with a main house specialty skill. The chakra blades were so thin that instead of the shuriken bouncing off they were sliced into pieces before her feet. A Kaiten with defensive and offensive properties and she had developed it on her own.

His moment of surprise cost him two of his chakra points and he flinched before blocking the remaining blows she had tried to connect. She was amazingly fast, definitely above the speed he and Ko had wanted for her. Not to be outdone, however, he had his own tricks. Her eyes had widened slightly when he struck in a move she had never seen before, blocking several of her chakra points. Jumping back the two stared at one another, panting and smiling. In a moment they would pull out all the stops and he would honestly have to get her into a position to use the Hakke Rokujuyon Sho, there would be nothing staged about this fight.

"Father, what sort of technique was that?" Hanabi asks her father, tilting her head in curiosity. "Is it one you haven't taught me yet?"

Her father was strangely silent, a grim expression on his face. He looked very upset, something new for the young girl.

"No." he answers honestly "That is an original technique." And he was wondering what else those two knew. If she could perform that it meant that she did in fact know the Rokujuyon Sho and he had never taught either child such techniques. Had they learned it…on their own? Had he been wrong to write the girl off and then discard her once the Kazekage had manipulated her for his own gains? He had thought she would merely become the plaything of the demon beast but she was not unskilled, not at all.

She had sneaked a glance up at Gaara and smiled to herself when he looked just as surprised as her father and the all of the other Hyuuga. She looked at her cousin and could see the pride in his eyes. He was enjoying this, she knew. They were getting to a point where they would have to pull out the big cards and Neji was attacking first, throwing weapons in hand.

Making several clones in an effort to briefly confuse, she smiled and began to manipulate her chakra accordingly. This time she would not use her own technique, this time this technique was part of the plan.

"Kaiten!" She began to spin, spreading her chakra to create a powerful shield. The weapons bounced off harmlessly and it was only when she stopped spinning that she realized he had carefully planned the final blow. Right as she faced him she saw the familiar stance and before she could react he struck.

All of the Hyuuga watched, struck speechless as a branch member defeated his enemy using a technique he should not even know much less be able to pull off. And the 'outcast' as well, the both of them had perfected the techniques on their own. Hiashi was honestly flabbergasted as his nephew skillfully used the Hakke Rokujuyon Sho and his daughter was thrown back, hitting the ground with a hard thud. She wasn't getting up from that, the match was over.

xxxxx

"You've been holding back on me." Neji lightly admonished his cousin as she lay on the bed inside the arena's medical room. "Although you sacrificed a lot of strength for speed, not a bad thing but we should probably work on that a bit."

Smiling, her pale eyes shined brightly despite her exhausted state "Someone told me once upon a time to not let people know all of what you can do."

"Really?" he returned her smile. When she reaches out her hand he takes it lightly "This person sounds very intelligent."

A small nod "He's the smartest person I know."

Footsteps sounded and the male Hyuuga stepped away from his cousin, pausing when it was his uncle, Hinata's father, that stepped in. When Hinata moved to sit up Neji hurried to help her, both of their gazes on the Hyuuga head. His expression was grim and the two could only guess as to what he was thinking.

"Hinata," he began, "You have shown much improvement from when you were a child who did little but cry."

Instead of looking offended she smiled warmly at her father "It is thanks to Neji-niisan that I am where I am." She says it with pride, as if going 'Yes, this _branch_ member made me what you couldn't'. It wasn't something Hiashi could be offended about because it was true, her performance out there today proved that.

Turning to Neji he looked at his nephew with his barely concealed hatred and sighed inwardly. If things had been different, if Hizashi had been born first, would the two of them still be at their current skill level? His twin had always been the more skilled and his son was nothing short of a genius. A genius who had taken the failed heir and turned her into someone the Hyuuga would be proud to show off. Except that they couldn't, not anymore.

The council would be in an uproar over this and honestly, Hiashi began to wonder about whether or not the current system was working. Obviously, Neji was more than skilled enough to be a main branch member and his daughter…he could not get over his surprise over her growth. She had not merely hidden behind the monster, hoping he would always protect her.

He did something that the two children would have never expected, he bowed, his forehead inches above the ground. The significance of this was not lost on them and they were too stunned to move or even speak for a moment.

"To the both of you," he said "you deserve an apology." Standing, he regarded Neji "Especially you, for reasons I don't need to go over." With a small sigh he reached into his sleeve, pulling out a scroll "This…is for you. Your father wanted me to give that to you when the time was right, I believe you are old enough to fully understand the message he left for you." He turned to his daughter "You spent these years training and honing your skills, as a true Hyuuga should. I am proud of you, if for no other reason than the fact that you stopped giving up on yourself. You have shown everyone, not just Hyuuga, that you are more than the demon child's pet."

She bristled at that last comment but said nothing. It was true, there weren't many in the village that had thought she was of any real skill, everyone had believed that she did nothing but hide behind Gaara. Even Kankuro assumed that and they were on the same team.

"My father…" Neji came in after a moment of silence, his eyes locked on the scroll "he wrote this for me?"

"Yes." His uncle responded.

If Neji had any real reaction to this he did not show it. "I…see. Thank you Hiashi-sama."

As the older man left Gaara walked in, his own face a blank mask. Rolling the scroll up Neji put it away and excused himself, leaving the couple alone.

Their gazes locked but neither said anything to the other. She was sore and it would take a while before she felt one hundred percent but when she could see no anger in his gaze she flashed him a warm smile.

"Gaara-kun." She says softly and then he is there beside her, taking her hand in his.

"I do not…enjoy being incorrect," he began "but watching you today…I am glad you convinced me to allow you your training. You were…" he frowns slightly and turns his head away slightly "beautiful."

Shades of red that should impossible for any human being to turn emerged on Hinata's face. He has said many things to her, but calling her beautiful… "T-thank you." She was at a true loss for words.

"They are making your cousin go again," he informed her "Against the blonde haired boy."

Her eyes widened "Already? B-but he just got done…"

"Apparently, there are individuals missing so matches are being moved around." A strange gleam emerged in his eyes "I am still paired off with the Uchiha, however." There was something primal underneath the small grin he gave her.

"Has he improved that drastically in a month?" she asked, surprised. "You look excited."

"I am." The grin widened and she knew that look. It was the look he showed when encountering 'prey', except that he actually seemed as if he were looking forward to it, as if he had finally found that challenge he had been looking for. If he got too excited…

"G-Gaara-kun…" she whispered it but his eyes snapped to her anyway. There was a brief flash of annoyance before he realized who he was looking at. "You will be careful, won't you? There's t-the plan and…"

Tilting his head he kissed her lightly, his face back to normal "I will come to see you after the fight." He promised, his fingers lightly brushing over the kanji tattoo on her hand "Try to rest. I love you Hinata-chan."

She wished he was always like this, gentle and kind. He was only this way towards her and only when they were alone. The girl wanted to tell him not to fight, not to go out there because there was a deep feeling of dread settled in her stomach. Something was going to go wrong, she knew it.

Her feeling came to pass when Uchiha Sasuke thrust his new jutsu, the Chidori, into Gaara's sand dome, triggering a series of events in which Suna and Oto struck and Gaara completely lost it, fully transforming into the demon Shukaku.

In an effort to slow Uchiha down, Hinata had stayed behind while Kankuro and Temari carried their injured brother away when they had initially fled from the arena. She had been of little use due to her battle with Neji although the look Sasuke gave her as he had left had been contemplative. Temari also tried to stop him to no avail, it had only delayed the inevitable.

So many things happened at once and Hinata didn't remember all of it nor had she been there for all of it. There was one that had stuck out in her mind.

Completely exhausted, blue eyes look up at the figure standing between himself and Gaara who was in the same position as he. Confusion emerges as he recognizes the person. She was also injured and worn from battling yet she stands, arms spread, knees barely keeping themselves from knocking, a look of determination in her weary, tear-filled eyes.

"Hinata-chan?" the blonde asks, unsure if he's looking at the image in front of him right or not.

"No more." She says firmly and both boys could tell it was directed at both of them. "Please…Gaara-kun is my…he's...someone very precious to me." Her pale eyes are pleading and Naruto looks up at her before glancing at Gaara past her legs. There is a strange gleam in the redhead's eyes that she cannot see and Naruto glances back up at her, giving her a warm smile. When he realizes the fight is over he passes out and she allows a few tears to shed before turning back to the one person who means the most to her. His gaze is thoughtful and sad, it was something she has never seen before and for a moment she feels panic rise within her.

"Gaara-kun?" she asks and he closes his eyes briefly, turning his head so that he is looking up at the sky.

"Hinata," he says weakly and she tries – and fails – not to cry because she has _never_ seen him this thoroughly defeated before, she had never known it possible. "Hinata…I was…I was wrong."

She doesn't understand but before he could respond Kankuro and Temari finally arrived and the three of them left with Gaara. He further stunned everyone when he actually apologized to his siblings. For what they had no clue, but the one thing they did know was that he was acting very, very strangely.

xxxxx

"We are to wait here in protective custody until Konoha decides what they'd like to do with us," Baki informed his group "Their Hokage was killed by Orochimaru and our Kazekage was killed by him as well…we were betrayed."

Hinata wasn't surprised, when she had first met that man he had been so frightening but also shady, as if he were in on some huge joke that no one was privy to. Also, she found herself uncaring of the fact that Gaara's father was dead and she is not sure if that was a good thing or not. She should care; a life was a life, right? Yet…she had hated him, probably because Gaara had hated him.

"How long is this going to take?" Temari asked and Baki shook his head.

"They're waiting to appoint a new Hokage. Once that happens we'll know. Many dignitaries from Suna have been pushing for a truce between us and Konoha, so we might end up becoming their allies, if they don't try and kill us for war crimes."

She tuned them out after that, her gaze shifting over towards the boy lying on the bed in one of the rooms in the hospital. His eyes were currently closed and she had no idea if he was actually sleeping or pretending. She felt awful, all of her training and she had been unable to truly protect him when he had actually needed her. Maybe she really was pathetic.

"Hinata." Temari's voice cut through her thoughts and she looked up at the older woman "Today, you shocked the hell out of everyone out there." There was a brief smile "But then again, you're Suna born and bred, we should have expected the girlfriend of one of the strongest shinobi in our village to be strong as well."

"Yeah," Kankuro put his hands in his pockets "you've been holding back on everyone."

Holding back? She supposed. On missions Gaara had refused to allow her to do anything, so she hadn't. No one besides Gaara had watched her train, no one had cared. One had only to look to see how she had progressed and even then she had indeed held back a bit for Gaara. She had wanted to surprise him, to show him that she was worthy of standing by his side.

"Kankuro, Temari," their little brother came in, his bright green gaze on them "Could you…give us a moment?"

Still unused to this kinder, polite Gaara the two siblings gave him nervous affirmatives before leaving the room.

Slowly, he sat up although it looked painful. She could tell that he did not desire help so she did not move, her nerves a bundled mess. There was something very different about her childhood friend and it was scaring her.

Looking up at her he managed to move his legs so that they hung over the bed, his arms keeping him propped up. "Hinata," he began "I'm…I'm sorry."

Confused, the brunette shook her head "I'm the one who should be sorry Gaara-kun." She admitted "I wasn't able to protect you –"

The look in his eyes cut her off. What was…what was going on with him?

"Naruto," he began, his gaze shifting from her "had been right. I have been treating you like an object instead of a person, instead of the one I love." She tried to speak again but once again his gaze stopped any protests "You were the reason for my existence, but I didn't see you as a person, not as I should have. You tried to make bonds with others and I held you back. You became a symbol to me, the physical manifestation of the reason why I should live. And…" he looked away once more "for many years I have brought you unhappiness."

"What?" what was he talking about? He wasn't making any sense "Gaara-kun," she began "being with you makes me happy, I don't need anything or anyone else."

"But you do." He said it sharply and she flinched "That is who you are, Hinata. It's not in your nature to only love one person, it's just not you. I've known this, I've _always_ known this and it frightened me, it made me cruel to you." He reached out for her hand, pulling her closer, his gaze on the red tattoo he had given her so many years ago. "How many bruises have I given you because of my anger and jealousy? I locked you in a cage and hurt you whenever you even so much as touched the bars."

Shaking her head, she wiped at her face with her other hand "I…I don't understand, a-are you saying that you don't…that I'm not…"

"I love you." He said firmly, looking up at her "I have not been good to you, but I love you, I've loved you since the day we made the vow to be together. You deserve to bond with your family and people you care for and I should open myself to others as well, to those who care for me."

She snatched her hand from him as if he had burned her. Hinata didn't quite understand everything but it sounded as if he was telling her that their vow to each other, it was wrong.

Wrong? Their vow, their bond…was wrong?

"I want to change myself," he continued, his gaze pleading "I want…" he smiled slightly "my precious person to feel as if she is precious to me. True happiness comes from bonds, from caring for others, not just oneself or using someone as a symbol. I want to start over, this life of mine. I understand it a little better now, I –"

"You want me to love others?" she was so confused "You want…to love others?" but what of their vow? They had sworn to only…it was supposed to be just them…always. Slowly, she began to back away from him, confusion and pain in her pale eyes. "S-so you…you don't need m-me anymore? I…I'm not good enough?"

His eyes widened in shock and for a moment he was speechless. His best friend began to back away from him, as if she were about to leave.

_If she leaves, she will not return._

"Hinata –" he began but she shook her head and turned. "Hinata!" he cried out this time, almost toppling to the floor as he forced himself out of his bed. Slowly, with shaky legs he stood, his arm on the bed keeping him up. She couldn't leave…she couldn't "Hinata _please._" She was still moving away from him and he tried to move forward even though his body was refusing his request. With his free hand he reached for her but she backed away again "Hinata!" it was another plea "Please I cannot…I can't do this without you!"

Pushing himself off the bed his head hung slightly as he tried to take a few steps forward "Don't leave…don't leave me. Without you…" his legs gave out but she was there, her arms wrapping around him. His own arms came around her and he hugged her as tightly as his weakened body would allow "Together, Hinata. No matter what, no matter who comes into our lives, you will always be the most important person to me. I can't change, I can't do this without you. Please…" weakly, he buried his face in her neck "We're not breaking our vow," he reassured "we're just…expanding it. I still feel as if we belong together, but we cannot keep…I cannot keep forcing you to shun everything and everyone. True strength comes from all sorts of bonds…I never understood it…but you did, even unconsciously. Your cousin and Ko, you bonded with them, did you not? Yet you still love me, right?"

She nodded, burying her face in his neck, trying to hide her tears. "I will always love you."

"Those people you've bonded with, I'm…what I'm saying is that it's okay. To have those bonds. To care about others and to need others. It's okay to be close to people besides me."

Pulling back she blinked when he raised a shaky hand, wiping away a tear "Because you are you, you innately know how to form those bonds…I would like…to also know how to do that and I cannot do it without you, Hinata."

She slowly began to understand what he was saying, although she wasn't sure what caused this sudden and abrupt change. He wanted her to stay by his side but he no longer wanted to keep her to himself. He wanted her to feel free to make friends and bond with her family and through her he hoped to learn how to form those bonds himself. In the end, however, it was still the two of them, they still loved each other and no matter what they would always be the most important to the other.

"I will…never leave your side." She promised and his hands tightened their hold on the fabric of her jacket. His breath was warm on her neck as he breathed out his sigh of relief.

She felt his hands, shaky still, frame her face as he looked at her. Something warm filled her heart as she looked at him because she knew now what she was seeing. She knew that he had finally shrugged off the demon and had fully embraced the kinder, loving side of himself. This was the side of him that she had wished she could see always and now, thanks to the blonde haired boy Uzumaki Naruto, it had been made possible. She owed him more than her thanks.

When he kissed her she felt the happiest she had ever felt in her entire life. He pulled away from her and smiled gently.

"From now on," he told her "we will fight together. No longer will I push you to the side. You are my other half and it is time I started treating you like it."

Slowly she helped him back into bed but when she tried to move away he pulled on her arm, signaling that he wanted her with him. So she crawled up on the bed beside him and fell asleep in his arms.

xxxxx

Konoha's training grounds were a bit different from Suna's, but she liked the atmosphere, all the green and the trees. The air was also very different, almost as if it were…moist. She couldn't describe it any better than that, while Suna's air was dry and thin Konoha's air was heavier and moist. Perhaps because of the trees?

They ended up grabbing another legendary sannin, the woman known as Tsunade, to be their next hokage. Hinata has not met her but Naruto told her that she has a bad temper and that she was really in her fifties despite her looks. Of course, Hinata hadn't believed him but he had insisted until she had eventually agreed.

A small smile curved her lips as she practiced, wanting to keep her skills up. Naruto had quickly become a good friend to her; he was cheerful, kind, although a little slow concerning things. They hung around each other often and he had introduced her to some dish called ramen that she had liked. It hadn't been spicy like Suna food but it had still been rather good. He had introduced her to his pink haired teammate but she hadn't seemed very happy about Hinata's presence so she had eventually excused herself.

She had visited Rock Lee only once and that had been while he had been asleep. The Hyuuga had spoken to his teacher, Maito Gai briefly and he had mentioned that she was very 'Youthful' or something like that. He had actually been the reason she had left so quickly, the jounin had scared her with his personality. After that she sent Lee a get well card and left it at that.

When Tsunade had taken the mantle of Hokage she had struck an alliance with Suna and so now they were free to move around the village once more. The Hyuuga entourage and the majority of Suna shinobi had already left although Neji had stayed behind. Apparently, only two people had been promoted to chunnin and that had been her cousin and a strategy genius by the name of Nara Shikamaru. It would be a few more days before they would return home and she was actually looking forward to it. Neji was talking about a new training regime he wanted to work on with her, Temari and Kankuro were actually beginning to open up and become closer to her, and Gaara…

He had been very contemplative for the past few weeks, deep in thought. When not busy he trained with her and it was a completely different experience for her to actually train _with_ him.

"_From now on, we fight together._"

His fight with Naruto had given him some sort of inner peace to which she was genuinely happy about. She has always wanted him to be happy, he's been all she's known for a very long time. There seemed to be other things that he was seriously contemplating and one of the changes she has noticed with Gaara was that he was becoming very…quiet. He had never really been a talkative person but now he seemed even more so, to the point where even they do not speak so much. It doesn't really bother her, she was also a quiet individual and the silence was peaceful, it was simply that his abrupt changes were taking her a while to adjust to. He was still affectionate, however, and his treatment of her has been…really good. For the first time in a long while she actually believes him when he tells her that he loves her and trusts her. She has absolutely no idea what Uzumaki Naruto said to him but she was eternally grateful for it.

Since her Byakugan was activated she was more than aware of Uchiha Sasuke's presence when he started walking towards her. He was coming from behind and she cannot see his facial expressions but she has the feeling that something was wrong. When he speaks to her he is standing a few yards away.

"You can see me right?" his voice sounded different. Where before he had seemed rather calm, albeit arrogant, now he seemed angry and frustrated.

Instead of turning to him she continues her kata "Yes."

There was a shift in his chakra and she could sense hostility just underneath the surface of his calm façade.

"I have some questions for you," he continues walking towards her "and since your bodyguard isn't around to protect you, you're _going_ to answer them, even if I have to use force."


	7. Chapter 7

7

Pausing in her kata she finally turns to him, vision returning to normal. As she had suspected he was scowling, his dark gaze intense. He was not at all the same he had been when she had first met him. This was not a surprise to her, the Uchiha had some sort of taint within him that began from his neck and it felt quite malicious. She wasn't entirely sure when he had received it but it was definitely powerful and Hinata was not sure she would be able to properly defend herself if he made good on his threat to force her compliance. She forced her face to become neutral, hiding the growing unease within.

"Gaara," he began, stopping only a few feet away from her "what is he?"

Was he still upset about the failed invasion? During the exams Sasuke had believed that he would defeat Gaara, not knowing that he was more than what he appeared to be. During the redhead's transformation the Uchiha had been thoroughly beaten and apparently he still wasn't very happy about it.

_There is something else…I think_.

When Hinata continued to remain silent his eyebrows twitched once. Black eyes switched to crimson and the Hyuuga was barely able to block his attack as he struck out at her. Byakugan activated she recovered enough to push him back or else risk his chakra points being closed off. He doesn't immediately go after her again, in fact he seems almost amused.

"I had wanted to fight your cousin," came the confession "but I hear you're not that far below him in skill. In the end you're not faster than me, so tell me what I want to know and you won't get hurt."

Instead of responding she shifts into a defensive stance. She had seen the Uchiha during the exams, she wasn't faster than him but she wasn't as slow as he seemed to think. After all, he still had yet to see her fight.

There is a moment of silence and then a shrug "Suit yourself." He 'disappears'.

Of course, he didn't actually disappear, he was merely moving faster than her eyes could catch. Unfortunately for him he had to slow down _eventually_ to strike or make a move and she was able to see in an almost three hundred and sixty degree radius. When he 'appears' behind her she ducks, twisting her body to strike at his leg when he tries to kick her. He dodges, barely, jumping back and she does not pursue. She doesn't really want to fight him but she definitely wasn't going to tell him anything about Gaara.

Once more he sounds amused "So I was right about you after all." He muses and moves forward again "I wonder what your _real_ personality is like, not that fake shy and meek act you pull."

Her lips remain closed as she takes the defensive. His blows are strong and he was no weakling when it came to taijutsu. Despite that she holds her ground and tries to figure out what she could do. She can't beat this boy, he's too fast and too strong. He was also intelligent and she didn't think she could match him.

He scores two hard hits on her but not before she locked up a few of his chakra points in the process. He snapped back, cursing lightly, holding his arm.

"What the hell was that?" he demands, taking a step forward.

"It is my clan's style." She says softly, struggling to stand "I've heard about your Sharingan, you won't be able to copy my techniques."

A snort "So you _can_ talk, just not about your boyfriend, huh?" when she didn't respond he once again began to close the distance between them but then abruptly stops. "You're not like other girls."

It wasn't really what he said but rather how he had said it, as if she was some special breed of human and he still hadn't quite figured her out yet. There was no anger there, just slight confusion and something else she couldn't determine.

"Why do you want information on Gaara-kun?" there had to be a reason, was he looking for a weakness? Something to exploit?

The silence is tense "I've never fought a guy who wasn't human and that guy is _not_ human. I want to know what he is."

There was something else there, she could tell. Hinata could tell that it truly was curiosity and not the desire to harm but there was a bad feeling she couldn't shake. There was a reason he wanted to know why Gaara was so different and she had a feeling it wasn't just because he hadn't defeated him.

"He is human." She says and it was quite obvious he doesn't believe her and she really didn't care. There was something…off about him. "You…you can hurt me if you want but…my loyalty to Gaara-kun is greater than my life."

One minute he was standing there, the next he had slammed into her and she found her back hitting the training post hard. He had a kunai at her throat and that tainted chakra was trying hard to spread throughout the boy's body but it seemed stuck. A seal perhaps?

Smirking, he leaned forward, their noses almost touching "I think at the very least I now know what his weakness is." There was that arrogance from before, the smug superiority.

Because he had not pinned her hands she, faster than he had believed she could move, snapped her hands up, blocking several chakra points on his arm before he moved away from her, stunned. Understanding that he was not going to leave her alone she began to shift her stance. She could sense his confusion. He really didn't know about the Juuken and no one had bothered to tell him. That would probably be her saving grace.

"Uchiha-san," she took a deep mental breath. She was extremely nervous and it was taking a lot for her not to stutter. His presence earlier, the way he had looked at her while the kunai had been at her throat…this person made her very uncomfortable "if you…if you don't stop I will have to defend myself. You are in range."

"In range?" that mark on him was winning the battle concerning the seal holding it back "Listen, Hyuuga," his voice was low "I don't know how Naruto was able to beat Gaara but I know for a fact that there's something up with that guy. I want to know what it is."

_He wants to know why Naruto-kun had been able to defeat Gaara-kun while he couldn't._ She determined. There was anger, frustration and something else in his tone. Something darker.

Sasuke made an irritated noise, signaling that he was done with her silence. Before he could strike she moved forward, using all of her speed. It startled him and he had hesitated too long. Her eyes narrowed and she moved to strike.

"Hakke Rokujuyon Sho!" fingers slammed into the first set of chakra points, stunning him. Then four palms…eight…

Right when she hit the eight palms mark she saw, and sensed, Gaara's presence and immediately she backed off. His gait was smooth and unhurried and while she could not sense anger from him like she usually would, he was also not exactly happy either. Vision returning to normal she saw him closing the distance, arms crossed, his face expressionless. Green eyes flickered over to her briefly before regarding the Uchiha "You are unharmed?"

Pale lavender eyes blinked at his detached voice but then she nodded. "Y-yes…"

Sasuke was not completely immobile but he didn't look very pleased either. Slowly, he staggered to a standing position, his dark eyes regarding Gaara coldly.

"You underestimated her." The redhead calmly informed the raven haired boy "Hinata-chan is not my weakness, she is my other half."

Instead of looking angry at the fact that the Hyuuga had almost gotten the one up on him he actually smirked, the look he gave her was…odd. "Seems like I did." He agrees "I think I envy you, she's actually incredibly useful." '_Unlike most girls'_ was definitely implied.

There was contempt in his tone but it wasn't directed at her. He did, however, have his gaze focused on her and she felt very uneasy. Ever since they had met his gazes had been a mixture of confused and intrigued, as if she had been some puzzle to solve. Now it seemed that he had solved the puzzle which only left the latter. She wasn't sure if she liked the fact that he was 'intrigued' by her.

"We must return," Gaara looked at Hinata, finding the conversation to be over with. "We are leaving tomorrow, it's been confirmed." He smiled gently at her and she returned it, her previous discomfort gone. It was so, _so_ nice to see him like this. At peace.

Nodding, she moved close to him and he took her hand. She spared Sasuke one last glance but found his face was expressionless, even his eyes were unreadable.

"Hyuuga." He says and waits until he has her complete attention "Next time I won't hold back." It was said low and he sounded very serious.

A small, sad smile emerges on her face and she tries to bites down the feeling of dread his words brought "I understand."

xxxxx

Framing her face in his hands he finds that when he kisses her now it feels different. It wasn't bad, quite the opposite, and he wonders if it's because he does not perceive her as he once did. Is it because there was no fear there? No underlying suspicion that this kiss could be the last? He had trusted Hinata, to an extent, he had realized that. There had never been a complete sense of trust like there was now.

_Perhaps it is because I don't have to hold back any longer._

Even though she had been his reason for existing, his 'symbol', he had always kept her at a distance. It had been a very small distance, but there nonetheless. He no longer needs to fear, she was no longer a symbol, there was nothing for him to hide.

Not that he didn't worry about her when she was not by his side, he did. He also still disliked her around other men although he was making a conscious effort to stop doing that. It was becoming easier the more he meditated and forced himself to control his emotions. Gaara had been in the area when he had felt Hinata's chakra spike and had not been pleased with what he had seen. It had taken a lot of self discipline he didn't quite have yet not to kill that boy. What had the Uchiha wanted with Hinata? The fact that he had caught her actually attacking the boy seriously had meant that the male had threatened or provoked her and she had been forced. Hinata was not a violent person, she preferred peaceful resolutions. He did not ask her and she did not say even though he was worried. The look in her eyes after they had left…it had made him want to force her compliance so that he could protect her from whatever it was she felt threatened by. He knew the path he wanted to take but it didn't mean he was going to completely change overnight.

The redhead has yet to tell everyone what he plans to do. He has been deliberating on it for a while now and has decided to tell them when they return home. As for his relationship with Hinata, it was good yet complicated. He loved her, they were 'together' in a dating sense even though legally they were already married. While he has been forcing himself to clamp down on his emotions and keep the demon separate from him he finds that it was still difficult to control his desire to be with her intimately. It bothers him, quite a bit, because they're both too young yet he cannot get the images and feelings out of his head.

_Does this mean we will have to start separating ourselves?_

Hinata will not like it, for as long as they've been together, practically their entire lives, they have been inseparable. Before coming to Konoha he had rarely even let her out of his sight and the two had a very close relationship physically. Not only would Hinata not like it, he would not enjoy it either. Although he had never slept there had not been a night where he had not been by her side in their bed. He honestly couldn't imagine returning and them having to live in separate rooms, he couldn't imagine not being by her side, it felt too painful. However, he also remembers that day in the hotel when he had reacted strangely while they had kissed. She had looked so uncomfortable and he had felt a myriad of emotions.

_I will simply have to take control over these emotions so Hinata and I can remain together._

They part from their kiss and he pulls her close, savoring her presence. She has been so much happier lately, he can see the difference. His love's eyes shine more, she smiles more and the way she looks at him…it was a look he had been seeing less and less the more he had allowed the demon to influence him. It wasn't just happiness, she was happy _for_ him and that meant more to him than he would ever be able to convey verbally.

_Your entire life you've dedicated yourself so that I could be happy, so that you could stand beside me. Hinata, I will make these years up to you, I swear it._

Tensing, he senses a presence outside their door and the two turn as Temari comes in, a grim expression on her face.

"The Hokage is asking us to come back to Konoha, there's an emergency." The chunnin tells them and she looks quite unhappy about it "Apparently, Uchiha Sasuke has defected and is heading to the sannin Orochimaru. They sent a team out and since Neji had been staying behind to tie up loose ends with his new status he was sent out along with the initial team. They want us to provide backup."

"D-defected?" Hinata's pale eyes are wide with surprise "W-what about his family…?"

"His brother has been missing for a few years now and his parents were killed around the same time the brother disappeared. It's assumed that he was the murderer. "

Gaara digested this information and stood, reaching for his gourd "Why is Uchiha seeking out Orochimaru?"

Temari shook her head "Your guess is as good as mine. _They_ seem to know but no one has said anything. We have to leave immediately; we're a half a day's distance behind them as it is. I'll lead us there and then we'll split off accordingly depending on what we find."

"We are ready." The redhead turns his gaze to the Hyuuga "Hinata-chan, you and I will fight together unless it is absolutely essential to separate."

Her response is a small nod, her pale eyes bright with emotion. He could see that she was thinking something but he decided not to press it. If she wanted him to know, she would tell him.

"We're dealing with Orochimaru's top four," Temari continued and both he and Hinata blinked in surprise. "They're with the Uchiha so fighting them will be unavoidable." The blonde scowled "Personally, I think the snake had planned this from the beginning."

When he looks over at Hinata he sees that she definitely agrees but there is something else there, as if she knew something. Once again she said nothing and he didn't press her for answers, there wasn't any time to anyway. The group of four headed out at top speed back towards Konoha and Gaara briefly wondered if Naruto…

_He's definitely with them,_ he mused _Naruto and Uchiha seem to have some sort of bond. But why go to Orochimaru?_

xxxxx

Tsunade wasn't a spring chicken anymore but she was no weakling either, not by a long shot. So when she felt the presence of someone in her office the first thing that came to mind was, _How the hell did he manage to get into my office without me sensing him?_

It was late, very late, and the word on Uchiha hadn't been good. Naruto had been unable to bring his friend back and now Sasuke was in Orochimaru's hands. This did not make her happy.

Apparently, she was not the only one.

"Why are you here, Uchiha Itachi?" she asked the shadows "I know it's you, kid, there's not an Uchiha alive that holds that much power."

"Forgive the intrusion." The voice was low, unemotional. Slowly, Tsunade watched as the former heir to the Uchiha clan moved into the light. What she saw surprised him.

He was pale, deathly so, and it was obvious that he was exerting a lot of self control in keeping his posture straight. His Sharingan was activated but didn't look as if he held any hostile intentions. Despite the obvious pain he seemed to be under Itachi's expression remained impassive.

"You've been gone for a few years now." The buxom blonde leaned back in her chair "There's still rumors going about that you were the one who killed your parents."

Itachi did not reply for a moment "What do you believe, Hokage-sama?"

"I support the rumors saying that it was the other families and they slapped it on you. Well, they're not even rumors, we have evidence that it wasn't you, but that's top secret. That doesn't explain why you've been gone so long and why you're here. You're technically a missing nin."

He did not even blink at her, his expression remained impassive "Although you are new to your position, I am sure you know why I left and what I've been doing."

She had to hand it to him, despite the fact that he was barely holding it together he didn't seem to be in any rush concerning their conversation "I've heard that you all believe you were set up by Madara; are you sure it's him and not some imposter? By all rights he should be long dead, he's old enough to be _my_ grandfather."

"There have been some doubts but yes, he is truly Uchiha Madara. I have spent these past few years gaining information, there are quite a few things you need to be made aware of. I am here for two reasons. One, I heard Sasuke went to Orochimaru, is this true?"

He was well informed for a man who had been gone for years "I got the final confirmation by messenger hawk today, the team I had sent out failed to retrieve him. It's safe to say he's probably with that snake now. Do you know why he did it? I have my guesses but…"

"After the exile many Uchiha have been…unhappy about the fact that Madara had so openly betrayed them and Sasuke is one of those individuals. He disgraced our name and shattered our clan all for the sake of revenge for being shunned all those years ago. My little brother has more than likely gone to Orochimaru for power." There was a small pause "I am sure he would not have done so if I had been around to train him. Many rumors claim that I was killed."

The Hokage began to pour herself a cup of sake "You couldn't have taken him, Itachi. Everyone knows that. Are you going to bring him back yourself?"

"No." he does not react to her stunned expression "Not yet, anyway. At the moment I would be unable to train him, there are too many things going on he is not aware of. If I can't train him, he will not remain in Konoha at this point, I am sure of that. According to the rumors Orochimaru will have to wait a few years if he wishes to take my brother's body, I will strike then."

That was good and bad as far as Tsunade was concerned. It was good that Itachi would pull Orochimaru from Sasuke's clutches, it was a bad thing that he wouldn't do it for another few years. Who knew the influence the snake would have on the boy?

"Alright then," she downed her cup and began to pour another one "What's the other reason?"

This time he smiled slightly. It made his rather stoic features boyish "You are a medical nin, I am sure you have guessed."

Tsunade sighed. So there was something terribly wrong with him. That was not good, if anyone could stop Madara, it was Itachi. "Based on your slight shaking, blurred focus and light sweating, you've either been poisoned or you have some sort of illness."

The smile thinned "It is the latter…I believe. I was hoping that with you…"

Tsunade stood and began to walk towards him "I'll have a room set up for you; this will be top secret so only a few people will be made aware of the situation. If it's an illness and we can cure it, we will." She gave him a sardonic smile "You're the last person that needs to die right now, Itachi."

xxxxx

Everything was a strange learning experience for him now. Where before everything had been simple – do whatever the hell you felt like doing up to and including killing lots of people – now he was on a path that was forcing him to become more social and affectionate. The latter wasn't something he was unfamiliar with, he had always been affectionate to his other half. It was the other half of it, becoming social and accepting the bonds that Hinata already had, bonds she had developed whether she had known it or not. The one bond, the strongest bond that he had known Hinata to have had been with her cousin. She loved him and that love had caused Gaara to become easily jealous and controlling as the years had gone on. He had hated the fact that she looked at anyone with any sort of fondness, he had been afraid that if she had she'd eventually leave him.

_Yet…she remained._ He thought solemnly. Hinata had stayed with a boy who had not given her even an inkling of what she had given him in terms of love and trust. He had so many sins to atone for, but he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to atone for his horrible treatment of her for all these years. It was times like this when he wondered if perhaps he should push her away. He loved her, more than anything imaginable, and he didn't feel as if he could change properly without her but…wasn't it time to stop thinking about himself and his feelings?

Even now as he stood in Neji's room at the hospital, looking at Hinata's sleeping form by the boy's bed, taking in their interlaced fingers, guilt rode him. He felt guilty because all he wanted to do right now was rip her away from her cousin, to demand her tell him why she was holding Neji's hand, why her head was resting right next to his. Growing up he had always been afraid that the male would have done something to hurt his Hinata, the boy had been so hateful towards her in the beginning. In the end, the one who had truly hurt her had been him, not Neji.

They would look good together.

White eyes opened, eyes that held just a hint of silver, eyes that missed nothing. His Byakugan activated immediately before he closed his eyes briefly, chakra filled veins surrounding them fading. Slowly, he turned his head to Gaara, his expression unreadable. The newly made chunnin had been seriously injured by Orochimaru's elite four and would have died if not for Tsunade's quick thinking and rallying up forces. He had defeated the creature – and one could only call that thing a creature – almost at the cost of his life.

"I heard the rumors that you had changed," Neji's voice was low so as not to awaken Hinata. The two males regarded each other silently for a moment and Gaara knew the Juuken master didn't miss the way his jade eyes flickered to their joined hands as the other male squeezed her hand gently.

_He is going to test me. _Of course, Gaara had anticipated this, it wasn't as if he hadn't made everyone around him fear and hate him. It would take a long time before anyone fully believed that he was serious about changing himself. He didn't like the fact that it was this Hyuuga testing him because Neji was neither blind nor stupid. More than likely he'd know the feelings the redhead was trying so desperately to hide and keep under control.

"She loves me." Comes the voice and neither boy backs down from the other's gaze. "Perhaps, had she been given the choice, she could have been _in love_ with me. Her feelings are not completely platonic, although she does not realize nor will she admit it to herself."

"I know." He had known it for years.

Neji let the silence continue for a moment "There was more than one reason why Hiashi-sama was angry at the trick your father pulled on the two of you, can you guess why?" when silence greeted him in answer he continued "Hinata-sama, although the three of us did not know it at the time, was slated to marry me."

That _did_ get a reaction out of the demon carrier. Green eyes widened in surprise "Marriage?" was all he could say.

For the first time Gaara was truly seeing Neji. Not the cool but polite individual that he had portrayed all these years but the harder, colder, and slightly more arrogant side; the side he had feared to show Gaara lest he be killed. He wouldn't be the first person to do this, but he would probably be one of the few where learning the truth of their personality would affect Gaara personally. "It is not uncommon for a branch member to marry into the main family," the Hyuuga carefully explained "although normally the marked spouse would still hold no real sway, influence, or be of any significance to the clan as a whole. It was determined early on that I was intelligent and had the potential to become strong within the clan. Hinata-sama, as you are aware, was considered weak at the time. It had not been made official but the clan had planned to have us marry. She would lead the clan, I would be its strength, that had been the goal." A small, sardonic smirk emerged "We both know how that plan had failed."

The redhead didn't want to dance around the real issue so he got to the point of Neji telling him this information "Do you still wish to marry her? Are you trying to tell me your feelings for her run deeper than teacher and student?"

"And if they do?"

It took a lot to not rise to the bait. Shukaku – no longer did he call the demon 'mother' – was infuriated, or rather, he wanted to be infuriated so that Gaara would shift back to who he was. The demon was not fond of the changes going on within his host, not one bit. "It would be Hinata's decision." He was proud of how his voice had stayed calm "It would not be difficult to get a divorce, the argument that we were tricked as children would be more than enough for the council."

Slowly, without jarring Hinata, Neji sat up straighter "That is what you say but that is not what you _feel_. I awakened because I sensed an angry presence. I opened my eyes and there you were."

_He wouldn't be so cocky if he was dead._ The thought emerges and he disregards it; that was Shukaku trying to influence him, those were not his true thoughts. "It doesn't matter what I feel, what matters is Hinata being happy."

Neji didn't quite believe him and the expression on his face showed as much. "Although I had disliked the fact that my life would have been decided for me at the time, it is not the case now. You did not truly love her, not the way you should have."

"I know." It pained him to admit it but the boy was right. He _did_ love Hinata but growing up his love had been twisted and possessive. It still was, he was just trying hard not to show it, was trying to overcome it. "Say whatever you wish Hyuuga, I will not harm you, or anyone else who does not threaten me or what is important to me."

"Physically or emotionally?" came the counter and Gaara resisted the urge to sigh. He should have known Neji would be his biggest obstacle and yet, if he did convince the other male it would help considerably.

"Twist my words if you wish, you are intelligent enough to know of what I speak."

The corners of his mouth twitch upward, probably the most emotion he had ever seen Neji display around him. Then just like that his expression becomes hard and unyielding "If you truly wish to start over from scratch, to become someone of good morals and ethics, you will divorce my cousin. Remove the shackles and allow her to have a choice. All she has known is you, all she has been able to love is you. She will resist, no one enjoys change, but to keep her as you have all these years would only limit her. If you two truly love each other, you will continue to stay together and everything will work out for in the end. She deserves to see and experience the world and people while not being forced to hide behind your back."

He could not help the ire that emerged "Is this her guardian speaking or the man who wants a chance to have her fall in love with him?"

"Both." Neji said without hesitation and the uninjured male is in fact startled by the easy admission "You have been the closest to her, but you have not _seen_ her, not as I have. The exams gave you a hint of what you have been blind to, but that was not all of what she had been forced to keep from you. While it is cute and amusing that you're honestly trying to become some sort of saint or whatever, you do not deserve my cousin, you never have, and if you truly wish to have my support you will free her."

Their gazes remain locked but neither speaks for a very long time. Neji was testing him, truly testing him, and it wouldn't end when he left the room. The Hyuuga was forcing him to hold a normal relationship with Hinata. Real couples were not as obsessively close as he had been with her, real 'boyfriends and girlfriends' their age didn't sleep together in the same bed. He would have to make an effort, Gaara would have to control his fears of her being harmed, of someone taking her away from him. Of Neji taking her away from him.

"So be it." Was his final response and then he left the room.


	8. Chapter 8

8

Being born and raised in one of the harshest environments in the world and having a previously insane demon possessed boyfriend one would think nothing could shock and surprise Hyuuga Hinata. In the span of five minutes Gaara had managed to devastate her in several rather significant ways.

One – and this was a shocker for everyone involved – Gaara had claimed to his siblings and 'wife' that he wished to become Kazekage. He wanted to form and understand bonds better, he wanted to protect those precious to him. Technically Gaara was still a genin although his skills and power far surpassed that. Regardless, he told them that he wanted to start from where he was and work his way up, to prove to everyone that he was serious about changing and becoming a better person. He told his siblings he wanted to spend more time with them, to get to know them. All these years he had held them in contempt and hadn't cared one way or the other about them, they had been like strangers to him. Now he wanted to truly be around them and learn what it was like to have a family.

Gaara wanted to make all of these changes, to become closer to people he had shut out of his life in the hurt and pain of the betrayal he had experienced as child by someone he had loved dearly. He wanted to train with everyone as well as train alone, he wanted to learn all the different types of 'love'.

So why was he pushing her away?

Hinata sat in her old room of the Hyuuga estate, looking out the window. Nothing had changed except for the bed, they had replaced it with something larger. Nothing had been touched, everything had been kept exactly the way she had left it and she couldn't understand why. They should have discarded all of her things once she had left for good, right? Hadn't they branded her as an outcast, a failure? Why had they kept her room in perfect condition as if she had never left?

She felt so alone and miserable. Upon their return to Suna her boyfriend…no…best friend, had sat down alone with her after his proclamation that he wanted to become Kazekage. He had told her several things. One, that he would have to train very hard to control his emotions, thusly controlling the demon inside of himself. It meant that he would become distant with her and seem almost unemotional.

"_But I don't want you to think that I will stop loving you."_ He had reassured her _"That…that is something that will never change, not as long as I am alive. I will always love you, Hinata-chan."_

It was understandable and she had told him that she would support him and continue to show that she believed in him and that she loved him. Then he went and dropped probably the largest bombshell ever on her.

He no longer wanted them to be together as a couple. Not only that, he was going to get the council to nullify their marriage contract. Basically, he had broken up with her _and_ divorced her all at the same time. The last and final bombshell: He no longer wanted them to live together.

Initially, she had burst into tears when he had told her and it had taken a good hour and a half for Gaara to calm her down and explain to her why he was doing all of these things.

"_I want to start over," _he had explained _"I want to be with you, but not like before…what we had wasn't healthy, Hinata, mostly on my part. I forced you to be with me initially, even if you had stopped loving me you would have been too terrified of me harming you to contemplate leaving. You can't deny the fear you had of me, I knew it was there and at the time it had fueled my insecurities."_

Hinata hadn't denied it and she had been able to tell that it had, just slightly, hurt him. It had hurt him to get that confirmation from her, to know that she had loved him and yet had feared him as well.

"_You deserve a chance to start over as well. The Hyuuga want to take you back, they want to make you heir once more. You want to change your clan, that was the entire reason you had wanted to fight Neji, wasn't it? To show them the flaws in their ways."_ He had smiled at her startled expression _"It had taken me a while to figure it out but…we've been together for too long for me not to know your heart._

"_I want to…do things the right way with you…with us. If you stay with me we'll continue to be as close as we were before and that…we can't do that any longer. We're getting older, it's starting to affect us differently."_ She hadn't replied although her face had turned bright red at what he had been implying _"You need to be free of my influence, free to do anything and go anywhere and experience everything. It's not that I want to do this, I don't…want to be separated from you, ever. I don't ever want you to leave my side, but it can't be in the way we've been doing it. You deserve to live a normal life, to make choices without having to worry about my reactions."_

But what about their vow? Their oath to always stay together no matter what?

"_It doesn't have to change, but that's the biggest thing that has…tied you down. That oath, that promise I had forced you to make. If we remain together it's because we want to, not because we're obligated by our words and honor."_ He had looked at her then and his face had been…there really weren't any words for the way he had looked at her. He had framed her face in his hands and had kissed her. The kiss had lasted for a long while and she had realized that it would be their last one for a long while…if ever again. _"I don't want you to leave me."_ His voice had sounded strained _"Hinata, this is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life but I can't…it's not about my feelings, it's about doing what's right. I might not have loved you properly but I do love you…immensely. No matter what happens, please never forget that."_

Had he not reassured her she would have felt as if he had been discarding her, throwing her away to pursue his new life. That wasn't it and while it had taken her a few days to think on it and realize that he was in fact right about everything it made nothing easier. Today was the first day back in her old home and she missed Gaara so much it was almost a physical ache. Since she was five she had _never_ been without him and if so it had never been for any extended period of time. Now it was completely different. Now they would have the option to be together but they would also be able to live their own separate lives. Logically, she knew this was what needed to happen and not just because Naruto had literally beaten an epiphany into him. Emotionally she was torn. She hated this and yet…she was happy. Hinata would be able to, for the first time ever, truly bond and become close to people. She would be able to have friends, to be around Neji outside of training. Besides Gaara, her cousin was the most important person in her life, she loved him and was excited that they could finally be together casually.

A loud bump outside her door drew her curiosity and she got up from her bed to slide open her door. As she did she almost bumped into her cousin who was carrying a rather large box in his arms. Startled, she took a step back so she could bow and apologize "I-I'm so sorry Neji-niisan!" her pearl colored eyes looked up at him pleadingly but his expression was blank as he regarded her. Then he briefly closed his eyes and smiled ever so slightly.

"It was an accident, Hinata-sama, there is no need to apologize. Besides, the noise must have caught your attention, I apologize."

Shaking her head her gaze rested on the box itself "Why are you carrying that?"

Motioning for her to follow she walked out of her room, looking around the hall that was familiar and yet foreign. Sliding the door open to the room next to hers he walked inside and placed the box on the ground. The room was as simple as hers; a bed, dresser, desk, and closet.

"Your father requested I move into the main branch house." He told her and his slight smile widened when she stared at him in shock before moving forward, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"It worked!" she was so happy for him; this was what she had wanted, this was the beginning of a much needed change for the Hyuuga "Neji-niisan, I am so happy for you…they're treating you as an equal now."

"Yes…" the tone was slightly guarded and he did not return her embrace although he did not look uncomfortable either "I never thought I would say this but…your insane plan actually worked. Hiashi-sama and the council have been going back and forth about the direction the clan should go in now. Although it is good that things are changing…not everyone enjoys change."

Pulling away slightly she took his hand, blushing at the contact. Because she had grown up being so affectionate around Gaara she felt herself wanting to be affectionate with everyone she cared about, especially Neji. She liked being able to fully relax around him "I…well I'm here now and you're still my guardian so…I won't let anyone try to hurt you."

An arm moved around her waist and he tilted his head, raising an eyebrow "You claim that I am your guardian and yet you will protect me in the same sentence. I do believe there is a conflict of interest."

Giggling at the slight teasing note she leaned against him once more, enjoying the feel of being close to someone. There was guilt there, of course, and fear that something bad would happen to Neji by her just being by his side like this but this was the life Gaara wanted her to live now. He wanted her to live a normally. It had felt so devastating at the time and it still was, but she liked the little things as well. "We can protect each other." She told him "I don't want to stop training or becoming stronger."

The small smile faded and his expression became completely devoid of emotion. Confused, she raised a hand to brush her fingers lightly along his jaw when he caught her hand. His arm dropped from around her waist and she felt herself paling. Had she somehow gone too far? Was he upset with her?

"Do you plan to regain your status as heir and become the eventual clan head?"

This was somehow a loaded question and she was confused by the seriousness in his tone "I…would like to. I'd…I want you and everyone else to be able to live freely."

Gentle fingers moved under her chin so that their gazes met. "To do this, you will have to sacrifice your freedom, Hinata-sama. The needs of the clan would always outweigh your personal feelings. It would be the same as your life before, except less dangerous and threatening."

Hinata laughed nervously "T-that's why…you and I…we're…"

"I am your guardian," he reminded her "upon my birth it had been decided that I would protect the future heir, which is you. I will always remain by your side if you wish it but it would not change the reality or severity of the situation. You do have a choice, Hinata-sama, you don't _have_ to do this. You don't have to bind yourself to a clan that had no qualms trying to forget you existed because of your situation. Hanabi is skilled and intelligent; she also has the same feelings as you concerning the clan." His gaze shifted from hers to their hands, a thumb brushing lightly over her wrist "Right now you have true freedom Hinata-sama, perhaps you should take advantage of it."

There was something else, something he wasn't telling her. "Neji-niisan…?"

"If you allow the clan to gain complete control over you again," he looked at her "you will go from having being manipulated to marrying a child to being placed in an arranged marriage in the future. You will not be able to remarry Gaara if that happens, if you allow them to control you. They will not make you clan head if you remain with him, do you understand the severity of your situation now? You can remain here, a member of the main house and _not_ become heir. You would be given more freedom."

The admission stunned her. They were going to put her in an arranged marriage if she took her place as heir once more? She supposed she should have expected it, no one liked or trusted Gaara and the Hyuuga were very particular about 'purity' concerning their bloodline. No one else in the village really knew about Gaara's future plans so it was only natural that they would try to separate her as much as possible from him if she allowed it.

Hinata was at a complete loss as to what to do. There was absolutely no way she was giving up Gaara, that was impossible…but she wanted to be the one to truly change her clan, she really felt that she could do it. Because of her two cousins she was strong now, much stronger than she would have been at the pace she had been going. She had self-esteem, she had a bit of confidence and she had determination.

"The…reason I want to become clan head…" she sighed, looking down "I want…it's like I said before, I want you and everyone else to be free as well. You especially, Neji-niisan, because you mean so much to me. I want you to be able to live the life you want…that's why I want to do this so badly."

This time he sighed "You didn't ask who it was you'd be forced to marry." He sounded almost tired. She frowned.

"Who?" she asked, curious.

He made sure he had her full attention before he spoke "You would marry me. The moment you decide to become heir, you and I will be engaged."

xxxxx

"They are known as the Akatsuki," Itachi explained slowly to Tsunade, mostly because it was difficult to breathe. He was lying in a special room of the hospital and only a handful of people knew that he was even in the village. His body had numerous patches and IV's on and in him and his somewhat tanned skin now looked very pale. Obsidian eyes looked over at the Hokage tiredly and Tsunade noted that her very ill patient was still losing an alarming amount of weight. "Until I had known who the true master was behind the show I had easily infiltrated the group, even now they are unaware that I have left for good. My partner knows of my illness and will be stalling for me for as long as he is able."

Akatsuki, literally meaning 'red moon'. She had heard rumors of the organization but truly knew little about it; she hadn't exactly cared while she had been traveling and as a newly appointed kage she wouldn't know everything that went on in the shadows just yet. "Who is the leader?"

She watched tensely as he closed his eyes for a moment and she knew he was hiding the extent of the pain he was feeling. The entire time he had arrived in Konoha the most he had given the medical specialists had been small grimaces, that was all. His body was being destroyed from the inside out and she wasn't entirely sure if she could honestly fix it.

"The proxy leader is known only as Pein." He told her, shifting his gaze to the ceiling "He is extremely powerful in his own right, I would be hard pressed to defeat him in a true battle. In any case, the true mastermind behind the organization is actually Madara, although I truly do not know what it is he is planning. He's been having us go and collect the demons from the nine jinchuriki that currently exist."

"He what?" Her eyes widened in complete and total disbelief. "How can he…what would he _do_ with all that power? He can't think he can control it."

"Not by conventional means, no." he agreed "But that isn't the case. He has a rather powerful artifact under his control, which is what he is using. None of us know what his true plans are, none of them really care as long as they get to do what they want. No one knows that Madara is truly running the show besides Pein and Konan, his confidant."

That was curious "How did you find out?"

His smile was thin and humorless "I performed the Mangekyo on Konan and erased her memories of the event."

"The Mangekyo…that's one of the Uchiha's forbidden techniques, isn't it?"

"It grants the user with incredible power, more than one could ever imagine. It is also imperfect, the amount of stress it puts on the eyes is astronomical, eventually the user will become blind. Before the coup when Madara first approached me I learned there is a way to actually prevent blindness, he had shared the information with me hoping that I would join him. He had a lot of plans for using me."

She could imagine. The Hokage had read up on Itachi's profile before he had left Konoha and what she had learned and what she was seeing of this young man right now was…unreal. This seventeen year old boy carried power on the level of a kage…and possibly was stronger than even that. It was a relief and it was distressing; _no one_ should be as powerful as this boy was right now and if he ever truly turned traitor many, many people would die before someone could finally take him out. How powerful would he be once he was actually a fully grown adult?

"Hokage-sama," his calm, unhurried voice drove her from her thoughts "I am, in fact, going blind. I can't…this can't happen just yet…I'm the only thing my little brother has left. As long as Madara is alive I can't die, I have to protect him."

The blonde frowned in confusion "I understand that Sasuke is also considered a genius but he's no where near the level that you're at…I don't think that would even be possible."

The smile he gave her was slightly annoying. It kind of irked her that this boy was so calm, controlled and…knowing. He seemed to project this aura to where there one felt that there was no secret he didn't know or wasn't privy to. The kid was too serious, way too serious.

"You sound like my father," he said the words softly and Tsunade realized that the pain was getting to a point where he'd have to stop talking altogether "he also felt that Sasuke was inferior to me and would stay that way. He doesn't have to be like me to eventually become more powerful than me, please do not underestimate him." There was a small grimace, barely noticeable but there nonetheless "Danzou Shimura, the leader of Root, he was granted permission to extract the eyes of key Uchiha members and implanted them in his arm and one in his eye." When she stiffened at this news he actually did frown slightly and once again her irritation flared at his disappointment concerning her lack of knowledge. She had barely been Hokage for a damn week and Danzou – she really hated that guy – had his little group tightly secured from prying eyes; including hers. She had already planned to get to the bottom of it but things like that took time "Danzou removed the eyes of practically every Uchiha that had the Sharingan he could get his hands on, Madara took the rest. I know he did not get rid of them, he wouldn't be foolish enough."

"While learning that is definitely disturbing and disgusting, I'm not entirely sure what you want me to do about it."

"It does not matter who but in order to prevent my blindness I will need to replace my eyes with that of another Uchiha. There is no way around it if I am to protect my brother and defeat Madara."

The Hokage had been unable to hide her shock and slight disgust "Itachi is this…"

"I will do whatever it takes to protect my brother and this village." He cut off "I can tell you where he has them although it will not be easy to get to. If you can cure my illness and prevent me from going blind, I will eventually have the power to stop him once and for all."

There was a long moment of silence "Alright, fine. How many other Uchiha know about this special ability?"

"Not many knew, only the highest ranking members of the clan and, of course, Madara. Sasuke also knows…" from his tone it seemed that he hadn't been happy about that fact.

Standing, Tsunade rechecked his vitals and gave his IV as much medication as she could without it doing him more harm than good. It wouldn't take away the pain but it'd make it less intense. "Try and get some rest for now. After this you won't be seeing me as much, I'll be doing research on your illness. Shizune will be attending to you until I figure out something."

He said nothing, only closing his eyes, his body looking relaxed although she was sure he was anything but. A few more moments and then she departed, heading for the office she had set up that was full of medical books and charts. She was determined to save him because if she couldn't he was more than likely doomed. If he died, there would be very few individuals who would be able to take on Madara…very few.

Mentally, she shook her head. It wasn't going to end like that, not if she could help it. Itachi needed to live and so she'd make sure it'd happen, no matter what.

xxxxx

Gaara had been staring at the letter for about five minutes before he realized he was actually reading it upside down. Confusion was apparent as he turned the paper over, brows furrowing. He continued to stare at the letter for about a good ten minutes before his patience faded and he was up and out of his room, heading towards the common area where his siblings usually resided when not on missions.

_Hinata would have been able to read it._

His gait slowed and bright green eyes dulled slightly. Six months. For the past six months he had suffered the loss of his best friend as a constant in his life. He saw her often, everyday practically, but beyond missions the two did not spend any significant amount of time together. His life felt extremely empty and it was hard not having her at his side at all times. It was very hard.

Of course, he would never complain or hint at his unhappiness, not to anyone. He knew he was like this because of the heavy emotional attachment and dependency he had held for her since he had been a small child. Six months had felt like six years and it was only getting worse, not better. There were still times when he'd see something that she would like and when he would turn to show her it hit him that he was alone. Sometimes he would think that he had seen her out of the corner of his eye or had heard her soft giggle, only to realize it had been in his head. He thought about her _constantly_, every moment without her was agonizing to him.

When she was around the pain did not fade, mostly because he was forcing himself not to be so possessive around her and so refrained from being affectionate. He did not hold her or kiss her even though he so desperately wanted to. The most he allowed himself was to hold her hand and he relished every second of the much missed contact. Gaara wanted to give in, to plead to her to come back and live with him, for them to be together as they had been before. He felt as if a part of him had been ripped away and the more he tried to reach out the farther away it got.

She held no lasting attachments to him any longer. They were no longer married, she no longer lived with him, they weren't even dating. She was still training dutifully and there were times when he had been allowed to sit in and watch but even that had reminded him that she was no longer his and he had stopped coming by so much. He didn't know if he could continue to do this, even if it was the right thing to do.

Forcing himself to dismiss it for now he found both Temari and Kankuro lounging in the common area, watching some sort of strange movie. Upon noticing him they had both hesitated for just a moment before the smiles emerged. It would take time for them to feel truly comfortable around their baby brother and while he did not show it, it was affecting him and it made him feel lonely. Loneliness only made him wish for Hinata to see that she wasn't there.

He needed her back in his life, he couldn't stand the separation.

None of this showed on his face, however. In fact, he showed no emotional expression at all, simply walking inside to stand beside Temari, letter in hand.

"Naruto sent this to me," he told her and she gave him a slightly confused look before taking the letter from his hands "I figured that since you can read Kankuro's horrible handwriting you'd be able to decode…whatever this letter is."

"Hey!" Kankuro had been lying haphazardly on a recliner and forced himself into a sitting position "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you have chicken scratch for handwriting." Temari snapped but was frowning – scowling – at the letter "What the hell is this anyway? Do they not teach their shinobi how to write?"

"We can't really say much, considering what you just said about Kankuro." It was said flatly by the redhead and he ignored the finger his older brother gave him.

With a sigh she leaned back on the couch, sighing "Guess you're right. Anyway, it's really hard to tell but I _think_ he's saying that he's left the village with some…perverted frog hermit...and that it's 'really awesome' and he'll be back in two years. Um he…" she frowned, squinting at the paper "wants you to tell Hinata – aka 'That really cute girl' – that he's going to bring her back something 'really cool'. He also wants to spar with you when he gets back because he's going to learn hundreds of awesome jutsus or something, I have no idea what the hell he's saying past that."

That sounded like Naruto. Briefly he smiled slightly before taking the letter back. Well, he had no intentions of remaining idle, when they met again Gaara would have a few new tricks up his sleeve. He was looking forward to that day.

"Thank you Temari." He said softly and she gave him a nervous but sincere smile. There was also happiness in there and perhaps even familial love, he wasn't entirely sure.

Excusing himself he decided to go to the training grounds for the day. Tomorrow he would be going on a mission with Kankuro and Hinata so training would be beneficial. There was also the fact that the chunnin exams were coming up again and he had every intention of making it this time. He knew Hinata would make it, Temari had said that she had almost been selected but it had been given to her cousin instead. He was looking forward to seeing what new things she had learned over the past six months.

Although she had told him that she would stop by later in the evening he was pleasantly surprised when he found her training. Normally she trained on Hyuuga grounds and he always felt rather uncomfortable whenever he'd go visit her. Today he would be able to watch her without all the scrutiny.

Her moves were fluid and graceful, eyes slightly hooded although he knew she could see him with her exceptional vision. He remained at a polite distance, content to just watch her. She was so beautiful, the more he was unable to be around her the more beautiful she became to him. Just once…just once he'd like to hold her, to feel her lips against his once more. At thirteen he realized that his feelings for her were more than friendly and definitely intimate in nature. There was an ache he had for her and not all of it was entirely innocent.

When she finished her gaze immediately shifted to him and her eyes returned to normal, a soft smile on her lips. His breath caught in his throat as he took in her flushed face and her chest as she panted slightly. More and more Hinata's body was shifting to that of a woman, it was very obvious that she no longer held the body of a child. Sometimes it was frustrating, he could exercise so much self control unless he was around her. When around her it was the same as when he had allowed Shukaku to influence him, she affected him in a way where he could never hide his feelings from her, not really.

She stood in front of him and he resisted the urge to pull her close, instead merely gazing at her impassively. Strangely enough, her small smile faded and a different, more distressed expression emerged. Gently, she raised a hand, brushing the back of her hand against his face. He closed his eyes briefly and leaned into the touch slightly, his moment of weakness.

"Gaara-kun?" her voice was soft but serious but he waited patiently for her to continue, tilting his head slightly to show he was listening "W-where do you…do you see us in the future?"

The question confused him "I am not sure what you mean. Do you mean as in our relationship or in general?"

The hand dropped and she looked down "Both…I think."

Why did he feel like he was being tested? "It would…depend on what you would want, Hinata-chan. I hope in the future to become Kazekage and to protect the village and its people." Unable to resist any longer his hands moved to her hips and pulled her against him, one hand raising to mimic her previous action "As for us I…would want to be with you, in whatever way you will have me."

A pretty blush emerged and she looked up at him shyly "B-but…do you think that…it'd be possible? If I became clan head and you Kazekage? We'd be so busy with our responsibilities…"

Dropping his hands he took a small step back, thinking. She did have a point "I…suppose it would be difficult." He admitted "We can never go back to the way things were, where we were inseparable. But you truly wish to change your clan and I want to support you in whatever decision you make."

"Even…if it meant we could never really be together?"

He did not initially answer her, he couldn't really. What did she…mean by that? The redhead tried hard not to let the pain in his chest show on his face. "I don't understand. You no longer wish for us to be together?" he had no idea how he had been able to ask that question so calmly, he felt anything but. What would he do without her by his side, really and truly? He didn't want to live a life without her but…

"I…want to change the clan," she said softly, still looking down "but if I do I'll…we won't be able to be together. B-but I can't just run away…you're fighting to change yourself and become Kazekage, I'm fighting to change the clan so that everyone can be happy and unified." She looked as if she was going to cry "I-if this had been…before t-the…the change I…I'd know my answer."

"You'd know because you wouldn't have had a choice." He countered softly "I wouldn't have given you one."

"I know but…"

"Hinata," when she looked up at him he tried very hard to keep his expression as neutral as possible "you're the type of person who loves unconditionally and you're the type of person who wants to help those closest to you. If you…if you feel that you have to…do this, I will not protest. We both have goals that require a lot of our time and an incredible amount of responsibility. People in our positions don't always have a choice, they have to think of what's best for their people, our wants come separately or not at all." _But I love you and I don't want to lose you. I don't want you to walk away…I don't want to give you up._

Hastily, she wiped at her eyes "I've been…giving it a lot of thought…but it's too hard!" she shook her head "I really want to do this but if I do we…"

Closing the small distance between them he pulled her in a tight embrace, his head resting at the crook of her neck. He took in her scent and smiled slightly, a bittersweet smile "My feelings for you will never change, even if we end up going our separate ways. I'll _always_ love you and I will support any decision you make…even if it means we cannot be together. In the end, we were friends long before our feelings became more than that…as long as we can keep that friendship I will be happy. You're my best friend, Hinata, we don't _have_ to be more than that to be together." Even if he wanted it desperately.

Her smile was shaky "Y-you're right…" she wiped away a tear "We've always been…best friends. We've loved each other as best friends so…" she looked up at him "Y-you…we…we won't lose our friendship, right Gaara-kun?" it was a plea more than a question and he nodded.

"We will always remain best friends." He promised "Besides you weren't very comfortable about us being more than that in the beginning, I pushed it on you…perhaps I even confused you. You were happy just being my friend, so I'm happy too." He tightened his arms around her, the sinking feeling in his stomach telling him that what he had always feared was happening…he was losing her. Not as a friend but nonetheless… "You will make the Hyuuga clan great, I believe in you."

Pulling back he saw the slight indecision in her eyes but also the desire to follow her goal to the very end. There was also relief, relief that he would not hold it against her that they could not become more than friends. "We'll believe in each other…we'll always be friends." She flashed him a beautiful smile and it felt as if the world had dropped from beneath his feet. Still, he showed nothing, only nodded slightly and gave her a small smile.

"Always."


	9. Chapter 9

**9**

xxxxx

"We've already sent Kankuro and Temari ahead," a man who looked to be in his late fifties or sixties sat behind the Kazekage's desk, frowning at the papers in front of him "I'm sending you because of your history with this person. Apprehend him, it does not matter how, but he is not to be killed." Looking up from the desk his gaze settled on the red head standing before him "I apologize, Gaara-sama, this will push back your ceremony by a few days at least."

Cool jade eyes took in the older man and he nodded briefly, his expression bland "It is no imposition," he began "This mission is more important…for more than one reason."

"Hyuuga." Wizened grey eyes looked over at the tall teenage male in the white robes "I am sending you specifically to protect Gaara-sama. With Temari already up ahead you're one of the few jounin who could handle such a responsibility."

There was a small bow from the long haired male, his eyes and expression as bland as the redhead's. "I understand. I am to assume then that Hinata-sama is accompanying us due to her tracking abilities?"

Both young men glanced over at the girl beside them, her expression serious and a little sad.

"Yes," the old man leaned back "We are aware of her superior sight concerning your clan's Byakugan, it will make finding him that much easier. Upon your return we'll contact Konoha in regards to rumors of Uchiha Sasuke being within our lands. The council hopes to give our allies good news."

Five minutes later the three teenagers could be seen walking away from the Kazekage's office. Neji frowned thoughtfully "I wonder how many others of the council will offer their hollow apologies to their future Kazekage." It was said off handedly and he did not look down when his cousin gave him a curious look. "If anything, they probably hope that somehow Gaara will be killed and thusly eliminate their worries concerning the host of the one tailed beast. It is said Uchiha's power has increased exponentially."

Small hands gripped at his arm and his mercury colored eyes flickered down to take in the worried and upset expression on his cousin's face "Please don't say things like that Neji-niisan…"

"It is not an incorrect assumption." Gaara said it softly and with no hint of hurt or malice "I am well aware of the fact that the council has not protested making me Kazekage for the specific reason of hoping that they will be able to control me better. A year and a half is not going to erase people's fear and hatred of me." When he felt the warmth of Hinata's hand close over his he tilted his head, giving her a small smile "It is of no consequence, Hinata-chan," he reassured her "I understood when I had decided to take this path that it would be like this, I am neither hurt nor offended."

She still looked terribly unhappy and he squeezed her hand gently only once. The trio continued to walk in silence until they had left the building. They stopped and regarded each other. Gaara was the first to speak.

"You're team leader, correct?" he asked Neji and the older male nodded.

"Yes, although I will have no qualms if you wish to take the lead instead."

The redhead shook his head slightly "No, I was merely curious. It is anticipated that we will be gone for a few days, how much time will you need to prepare yourselves to depart?"

Neji looked over at Hinata briefly before turning back to Gaara "An hour at the most although I do not believe it would even take that long."

Gaara seemed to consider this "I will be at the ridge in forty-five minutes." He informed them "If you arrive early, we will head out then."

"Very well. We will not keep you waiting long."

Hinata watched her best friend give them a small nod before walking off in the opposite direction, coat tails blowing softly due to the wind. He was taller now, both males were, with broader shoulders and an aura of peace and serenity around him. Gaara was now completely different from the boy he had been almost two years ago, not all of the changes she liked.

Even around her he had become extremely closed off emotionally. He had told her in the beginning that he would have to do it in order to keep the demon within him under some semblance of control. He wasn't the boy who had become dangerously jealous whenever someone even so much as looked at her incorrectly but he also wasn't the cheerful loving boy that he had showed only around her either. Hinata missed that part of him, she missed _him_ period. They were still best friends but she was aware of the wall that had come between them and she didn't know why or how to knock it down.

"Hinata-sama?" her cousin's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she turned, giving him a small smile at his inquisitive gaze "Is something the matter?" when she shook her head a small smirk emerged "You are still a horrible liar, Hinata-sama."

"I didn't mean…" her eyes widened in alarm "I wasn't trying to…"

The smirk turned into a smile and he shook his head slightly, showing her that it was fine "I was only teasing." His expression became neutral although she could see the warmth in his eyes as he regarded her "If you do not wish to say, I will not force the issue, just know that if you do need someone to talk to I am here." He looked out in the distance where Gaara had walked off towards before glancing back at her. He was silent for a moment before turning "I would not worry over it much, Hinata-sama. Despite how he may act now I am positive his feelings for you in particular have not changed."

Falling into step beside him her smile was lopsided "You always seem to know what I'm thinking Neji-niisan."

"That is because you do not hide your emotions around those you care for and respect." He looked at her briefly "It also helps that I know you well. I do not believe he would want you to be sad for him."

Hinata nodded but still looked unhappy "It's just…everything is so different now. We're all growing up and following our own paths…I guess I just never imagined it turning out like this."

"Children tend to hold rather idealistic views on the world and their futures." He looked slightly contemplative "They hardly ever become reality. When my father was killed I swore that I'd never forgive the main house, that I would hate them until the day I died. It was a foolish notion, especially upon discovering the truth. Despite how much I had wished it to be a lie, I had also believed that I would be nothing more than another servant, an inferior creature when compared to my 'betters'. I never thought once that it could turn out differently, not until that risk you had taken had actually worked." There was a small sigh "In short, the life I live now is not the life I had expected, including the way I would feel concerning it."

She did not respond and so they continued their walk back to the Hyuuga estate in silence. It wasn't until they could see the gates that Hinata spoke again.

"Are you…happy Neji-niisan?" they stopped walking but she wasn't looking at him, her gaze was focused on her feet "Do you…think Gaara-kun is happy?"

He took a step forward and she did not resist when he tilted her chin up to face him. Even his eyes were unreadable as he regarded her "The path Gaara has taken will not bring him happiness for some years to come, not until the villagers accept the fact that he will never give into the demon again. He pursues his goal nonetheless, knowing that _eventually_ that will change and the bonds he will make from it will bring him great happiness. He is aware that it will not happen instantly and he seems to be at peace with that." Taking a step back he looked off to the side "As long as you stand by him, Hinata-sama, I do not believe he could ever be truly unhappy."

That brought her a bit of relief. She loved her best friend, she has always wanted nothing but his happiness. Almost her entire life had been dedicated to ensuring that. It wasn't until after everything had been said and done that it seemed that he had finally realized it and decided he wanted to start over with everything and everyone. It had made her sad at first but it had been what he had truly wanted and so she supported him. She wanted him to realize his dream, she wanted him to truly be happy.

It wasn't until they had almost walked into the compound that she realized Neji hadn't completely answered her. When she pointed it out he looked at her strangely for a moment before responding.

"If you are happy with the way things are, I am happy with the way things are." He said cryptically and refused to say anything more on the matter, leaving her a bit confused.

xxxxx

"Although we've already scouted ahead a bit, it seems that the rumors about Uchiha being along the borders of Iwa and Suna are just that." Temari sounded slightly annoyed as she regarded the party "We haven't explored everything though, so there's a chance we could have missed him." Her frown increased when she looked at her youngest brother. "I still can't believe they sent you, those bastards."

"The council wished to send those who had known Uchiha previously," Gaara explained "This is something I want to do." It wasn't that it didn't bother him that the council was manipulating the situation but there was little he could do and it would happen eventually anyway; it didn't make any sense to be overly upset.

He glanced over at Hinata who looked pensive and he frowned inwardly. When Gaara had heard that Hinata had been placed on the team he had actually tried to talk them out of it but had been refused. She was a chunnin but she had the longest range in her clan concerning her bloodline limit. He had a bad feeling; before Uchiha had defected he had tried to force some answers out of her. He had failed but the future Kazekage hadn't missed the strange look he had given Hinata. It made him worried for her.

It seemed he was not the only one. Neji also seemed uncomfortable. Gaara made a mental note to speak with the jounin after the meeting.

"We should go in teams of two." Neji volunteered "Since this is Uchiha, going alone would not be advisable."

Temari shook her head "It's too much land to cover and we're jounin with the exception of Hinata and Kankuro – but they're not exactly far behind. We have flares, use it when you find him and we'll hurry to your location. We've also been given headsets; we'll be spread out so that one person will be able to contact at least one or two other people for back up."

The Hyuuga didn't look at all happy with this but Temari held seniority over him, it was her show. He said nothing else and shortly after the meeting was finished. Although Gaara had wanted to go and talk to Neji immediately, Temari had made him hang back for a minute or so. To his slight irritation it had been mostly for side talking, her expressing her dislike over the situation with him and the council. By the time he had left the tent and found Neji, he was speaking with Hinata. Unnoticed, he held back to listen.

"…just be careful, Hinata-sama." He said low, his expression serious "If you see him, come find one of us first, don't try and take him on yourself."

She nodded "I will. Please, don't worry about me Neji-niisan, I won't do anything reckless."

Her guardian took a step forward before hesitating. He grimaced slightly and then abruptly excused himself, confusing his cousin as he walked away. Weren't they engaged? Although he had said nothing Gaara noticed that Neji kept her at a definite physical and emotional distance. Hinata hadn't seemed to notice it but for him it was glaringly obvious. The long-haired male had all but implied that he had fallen for her and wanted to be with her but their relationship still seemed friendly. Why?

"Ah! Gaara-kun!" Hinata turned to him with a smile on her face and he forced his breathing to remain even and his expression impassive as she walked towards him. Even though he was able to control his emotions looking at her, as always, made him feel so many different things. He had thought that with time his feelings for her would simmer; she was engaged and they were only supposed to be friends, nothing more. Instead of his feelings simmering they only seemed to grow more intense as he became older. He had hoped the distance would have made the ache for her smooth over but it hadn't. He was still madly in love with her, he still wanted so desperately to be with her.

"Hinata-chan." It was said softly and a small smile emerged when she beamed at him, reaching over to take his hand with hers "I apologize but I overheard your conversation with Neji. He is right to be worried."

Her jovial expression shifted and she looked a little sad "I know." Her grip tightened "I promise I won't get in the way."

"That is not…" hesitating, he forced himself to keep his hand steady as he brushed back dark strands of hair behind her ear "We just don't want to see you hurt. We care about you deeply."

For the first time in their life Hinata gave him a look he didn't understand and it surprises him. He was sure he knew her well enough to understand all of her expressions but he was completely baffled. It was as if she was looking at him for the first time. Then it faded and she gave him a smile that didn't reach her eyes "I…care about you as well, Gaara-kun. So please, be careful as well."

Gently, he squeezes her hand and when he moves to let go her touch lingers for a moment longer and he has to control the urge to sigh out loud. Whenever she touched him it felt so amazing; it always left him craving more. Instead of reacting he smiles slightly "You worry too much, Hinata-chan."

Nodding, she gives him one last strange look before replacing it with a smile "So do you and Neji-niisan." She said with a giggle and then politely excused herself when she heard Temari call for her.

"Hyuuga." The future Kazekage stood with his arms crossed, inclining his head slightly when he noticed Neji emerge from behind their tent that was being used as a temporary headquarters as they were so far out.

"Stay near her." This got him Gaara's full attention and he raised a brow curiously "They will want me at a farther distance, having two Byakugan users close together is counterproductive for tracking. No one will bat an eyelash if you remain near her, they will expect it."

Even though he knew he shouldn't, even though he knew it'd be too revealing, he asked it anyway "Why are you pushing her away if you love her?" he honestly didn't understand it "You two are engaged, you live together…was that not what you wanted? For Hinata to have the chance to fall in love with you?"

Like him, Neji's face could become devoid of emotion and was so now. There was silence for a while as they looked at each other, but then the Hyuuga blinked, breaking the spell "I wanted Hinata-sama to have a _choice_." He elaborated "Her devotion has been to improving herself and learning as much as she can from Hiashi-sama about how to properly run a clan." Then he gave Gaara a small smirk, walking over to him. When they were shoulder to shoulder Neji stopped, the smirk fading. "And I never said I was in love with Hinata-sama." He said it low "That was the conclusion you came to and I did not argue it."

He left the redhead there with turbulent thoughts. He thought back on the conversation they had almost two years ago and realized Neji was right; he _hadn't_ mentioned being in love with Hinata. He said he wanted her to have a choice and one of those choices was to have a chance for her to fall in love with him…but he never actually said one way or the other _what_ he felt, he had let Gaara make the assumptions.

But why was he telling him this now?

xxxxx

It was hotter than normal in this particular part of Suna, not far away from the borders but definitely a good distance within the land itself. The area was known for its canyons and massive ridges, a perfect place for someone to hide. There were various caves and it was taking quite a bit for her to 'stretch' out her eyesight so she could do a thorough scan on the area. Ten kilometers was quite the distance for a Byakugan user but that didn't make it easy. Hinata was thankful for the hours upon hours she spent testing and stretching the limits of her bloodline limit to become a more efficient tracker.

Sweat was dripping down her brow and her hair was matted to her forehead. It wasn't even noon yet. Landing on a cliff face her eyes shifted, pushing her vision so that she could see down to even the smallest of animals. Doing this for too long would strain her eyes but in a few hours it would be too hot for her to remain and not risk heat stroke. There was a chance he could be hiding here more than anywhere else; the caves were numerous and deep; they would protect one from the heat while making tracking impossible.

To say she was nervous would be an understatement. Hinata had been wary of the look Uchiha had given her before he had left the village; she could only hope and pray that he had forgotten about her. It wasn't as if she had made a huge impact on his life and they hadn't really interacted too much. Besides, he would have had much bigger things to worry about than her right? Right.

In any case, Gaara said he would remain close by, only fifteen kilometers, so it wouldn't take terribly long for backup should she by some freak chance come across the deserter. At the thought of the redhead Hinata was only grateful that she was already flushed from the heat.

Although she also did not show it, the past almost two years without the constant comfort of her friend had been agonizing for her as well. At first it hadn't been so bad because she had been too busy enjoying her new found freedom. She didn't have a lot of friends but she was close to Neji, Ko, and a few others. She even got along with her sister. She and Temari had a loose friendship and Kankuro…well he was Kankuro. But then once she had settled into those 'bonds' or relationships, she found herself missing her old life; missing Gaara. She missed his smile, his laugh, she definitely missed holding his hand and being near him at all times. Even now there were times when she would awaken, find her bed empty and weep. He had been her _entire_ world, all she had ever known, and being without him pained her more than she ever would have thought possible. She missed being held by him, gods did she miss that so much, but most importantly she missed the fact that he would always tell her how much he loved her. He was distant but friendly, and…and…

And she hated it.

It didn't help that Neji had also become somewhat distant. It seemed that he was hiding something from her, something important. She didn't want to seem confrontational about it so she has never asked. His distance confused her, weren't they engaged? Not that she had expected them to start dating or anything but she had expected them to become closer, not distant. The two boys she loved most in the world seemed to not need or want her so much anymore and it truly hurt. She was surrounded by people and yet felt so lonely.

She missed the more cheerful side of Gaara, the one that had smiled and laughed with her when they had been small. Lately, there have been other things she has missed as well, things that…

Wait. What was that?

Hinata had been moving through the canyon again lost in her thoughts when she saw something flash southwest of her line of vision. It had been brief and she would have thought it were a figment of her imagination but something in her gut told her otherwise. Backtracking, she focused on expanding her vision even more near the area where she had thought she had seen something. Trust that out of all of the locations, _this_ would be the area he would go to and _she_ would be the one to come across him. Then again, it only made sense; she had been sent to this area specifically because it was extremely easy to hide here and she was extremely good at tracking people in difficult areas. It still felt like the fates were conspiring against her, however.

The 'flash' caught her attention again from behind and she shifted in mid air, chakra laced shoes bracing along the canyon wall before pushing off quickly. The flash kept moving at a speed she couldn't determine, and although she was afraid – terrified really – she kept going. If it was Uchiha she would shoot her flare, if it was just some…well more than likely it was him; she couldn't see an animal being able to move that fast.

Thought processes ceased as something slammed into her hard and she shifted chakra through her body so that when she slammed into the rock wall below it didn't instantly kill her. Pain lanced through her back and she quickly spat out blood before getting right back up and moving, not wanting to give the enemy more of an edge. The flash became a person and it was indeed Uchiha Sasuke. She took only a second to look him over before attacking.

He was taller than Gaara but shorter than Neji and he wore some sort of really weird outfit with a ridiculously huge rope bow at the back. Orochimaru wore the same thing, confirming what was already pretty much known. He had a sword strapped to his side but his eyes were impassive; the fire that had seemed to rest just below the surface had cooled. During that second he also seemed to take her in, his brow furrowing in slight confusion.

Putting all of her speed into her attack she shot chakra to her hands, forcing them to manifest into actual images of lions. Taking another step she began to spin and her opponent stiffened, hesitation costing him.

"Juuho Soushiken!" she cried as she slammed her hands into his chest, sending him flying. It took her only a second to realize she had just substituted himself for a clone.

"Interesting technique. You've been practicing."

Her arms were wrenched painfully behind her back and she found herself being slammed once again along the rock face, a sword at her neck. Fear moved through her as she came face to face with Uchiha who looked slightly amused. She hadn't seen his Sharingan often but now that he was close she could see into crimson depths, the tomoe looked exotic and he had all three although she couldn't quite remember the significance of that concerning those kind of eyes.

She did not say anything as he regarded her, the amusement fading into indifference. She deactivated her Byakugan, no sense in wasting the chakra, and settled for glaring at him instead. He still had that strange foreign taint but it seemed that he was in more control over it…or that he was stronger than it, she hadn't been able to tell.

"I had forgotten about you up until now." He admitted "But when I saw you I knew who you were instantly."

The 'intrigued' expression from years ago was no longer there, he didn't look like anything. She wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that "Are you going to kill me?"

Uchiha frowned at her, slightly confused before returning back to bored detachment "No. Not unless you give me a reason to. You're not the one I'm after."

That gave her a bit of courage "Why did you leave Konoha? Your friends?"

At this he chuckled, leaning back slightly "Friends? I don't have time for friends. I have a purpose, a goal, and I'll do anything to fulfill that. Konoha was holding me back, I'm much stronger now than I would have been if I had stayed there."

"B-but…Orochimaru…he'll…"

"Betray me?" when she nodded he frowned at her again, as if he couldn't quite understand her. Why was she showing compassion to him, the enemy? He had defected, joined an international killer to gain power and she was concerned for his safety? They stood there in silence for a while before another change emerged. It was still not intrigue, not like it had been years ago, it was something else entirely and it made her even more uncomfortable than before "Let's strike a deal, Hyuuga."

White eyes scanned black, trying to find any falsehoods. She found none "W…what sort of deal?"

"I know why you're out here, Konoha wants me to return. I can't do that." He shook his head "Until I've avenged my clan for Madara's betrayal I can't go back. This is something I _have_ to do, Hyuuga, after that I don't care what happens."

"E-even if…if Orochimaru tries to take your body?"

"Why do you care about that?" he briefly shook his head, no getting her at all "Never mind. If I defeat Madara, I seriously doubt I'll need to ever worry about Orochimaru again." He smirked "I don't now."

She let out a shaky breath "What do…you want me to do?"

The smirk immediately disappeared "Don't tell anyone you saw me here. Let me go. If you do, I promise you when I kill Madara I'll return to Konoha. That's what you want, right?"

She considered this "There's a catch."

A shiver moved through her when he suddenly pressed himself close, another smirk playing on his handsome features "Is there?" he asks low, a whisper in her ear. Then he leaned back, amused at her discomfort "No, no catch. Like I said, once I kill him I don't care what happens. That man has taken everything away from me, I can't go back until I've defeated him but I will return. If you don't rat me out I'll give you my word."

So he was just trying to get revenge, there was no sinister ulterior motive. He had every intention of going back…should she seriously stand in his way then? What would she have done if she were in his shoes? It wasn't as if he was being dishonorable, if anything he was trying to restore his clan's honor. As long as he returned, that was okay right? Naruto and Sakura would have him in their lives again, they would just need to wait a little longer. With a small sigh she closed her eyes.

"Alright." She nodded and it was then that he removed the sword from her neck "I won't say anything, I promise."

The crimson in his eyes faded but the intensity of his gaze seemed to only increase without it "You're still different." He murmured it but since he was so close she heard it anyway "You don't do things for yourself…like aniki." The last part was said a little sadly "Where's Gaara? I thought you never went anywhere without that guy following you."

Something in his expression was telling her there was a specific reason he was asking her that question "He's…near. We all went our separate ways to search for you."

Uchiha was confused by this "That doesn't seem like him; he had you on a tight leash and did whatever the hell he wanted to do."

He was probing for something but didn't want to come right out and ask. She frowned, not understanding "He's changed…all of us have."

"Hn." Abruptly, his gaze shifted towards the distance and frowned "Activate your Byakugan and tell me who's coming."

She did "It's Gaara-kun."

The teen let out an irritated noise "He must have sensed me from earlier." He looked at her "Are you going to keep your promise?" when she nodded he finally let her arms go, taking a step back. Then he was giving her that _stare_ again and it made her so very uncomfortable "Hyuuga." He waited until he had her attention "Getting revenge isn't my only goal, it's just the one that matters. When I'm done and I return to Konoha, I have one last thing I want to do and that's to restore my clan." He looked away briefly "It's what aniki would have wanted."

When he looked at her again she knew exactly what this new look was and she had been so startled by its appearance that when he moved forward, pulled her in his arms and kissed her; Hinata could do nothing but stand there, eyes wide, face burning.

"Stay strong, Hyuuga." He murmured against her lips "And don't change." A hand began to slide up to lightly grasp the back of her neck "You'd make an excellent Uchiha." The last part was said lightly, as if it were some sort of amusing joke.

She was unable to think much on it, however, for right after he said that fingers gripped the right pressure points and darkness claimed her.


	10. Chapter 10

**10**

A sharp gasp filled the space. Byakugan activated, she shifted her body to attack whatever was in her vicinity.

"Hinata-chan." Strong hands gripped her wrists and immediately she deactivated her limit, taking in Gaara's impassive face. Her eyes widened in surprise and horror.

"Oh, Gaara-kun!" he let go of her and immediately she reached out to him "I'm…I'm so sorry! Did I…I didn't hurt you… did I?" it was a ridiculous question; hardly anything could hurt Gaara, especially not her puny attacks.

She was so shaken up; where was she? It looked like some sort of medical tent but she couldn't be sure. The young chunnin could still hear Uchiha's words and she felt sick to her stomach with the knowledge that he had kissed her. Only one person has ever kissed her and his were the only lips she wanted to touch hers.

The revelation completely stunned her. Did she really...with him…?

Jade eyes widen slightly when pearl focused on him with that same unfamiliar expression from before. There were unshed tears in her eyes and his heart clenched tightly as guilt filled him. When he had found her it hadn't seemed as if anything bad had happened to her and yet now she looked on the verge of tears. He should have stayed closer but he hadn't wanted her to feel crowded. Had Uchiha found her? It seemed likely, her clothes had been tattered and there had been signs of a struggle. He must have knocked her out and Gaara could only be so grateful. That meant he hadn't truly gone down a dark path.

_Or maybe he spared her for another reason._

Regardless, she was still shaken up. Everyone else were in their tents, it was night and they would be heading back to the village in the morning. Everyone had concluded that _something_ had happened, more than likely involving Uchiha, and the chances of him remaining now were slim to none. They had lost the trail; it was time to cut the losses. Since he didn't sleep he had volunteered to watch over her until she awakened.

When she reached out to him he closed the distance, interlacing their fingers. A slight smile played on his features as he tried to look reassuring.

"Everything is fine, Hinata-chan." His smile widened slightly "We found you and it's nightfall now. If you're feeling up for it you can rest in my tent until –"

The future Kazekage was cut off as Hinata turned on the cot, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in, pressing their lips firmly together. A hot shiver moved up his spine and he couldn't even help the small noise that emerged from the back of his throat. Oh, gods…how _long_ had he wanted this? It felt as if he had waited an eternity and the wait was worth it…so worth it.

He had been so stunned that logical thought had fled and his arms immediately wrapped around her slender frame. A hand moved through her hair and he marveled at the silky strands; he had missed that as well. Eagerly he returned her kiss, a light moan escaping when her legs wrapped around his waist. Then they were practically clinging to each other, slender hands sliding up his back as he tilted his head, deepening their embrace. Tongues mingled and when a hand moved through his hair he let out another low moan.

"Hinata…" he breathed her name as if it were a beautiful litany. Almost two years he had gone without her in his life like this and it had been two years too damn long. It didn't even matter that he was going against the perfect self-control he had built up for himself, all that mattered was her lips, her hands, the soft noises. He loved her, had missed her and desired her more than she would probably ever know.

Now she was kissing him, _she_ had initiated the contact and it was as if they were now making up for lost time. All of his pent up emotions for her came pouring down hard but surprisingly Shukaku wasn't trying to take advantage, it was strangely quiet. Years of denying himself the touch of her hand or a gentle embrace. Almost two years of staring at his empty bed, reliving the way he would hold her as she slept, _craving_ that until it almost became overbearing.

He had tried so hard to close off his emotions and he had succeeded for the most part but when it came to Hinata, always when it came to her he was powerless. He loved her, perhaps he was even obsessed with her, and she was the only one who could unhinge him like this.

A soft sigh escapes his lips as he parts from her, closing his eyes at the sensation of her hands moving over his abdomen. Her legs wrap around him tighter and he knew he should pull away because if he didn't the very thin shred of self-control he was hanging onto concerning this woman and her fulfilling his deepest desires would completely disappear. They had to stop even though it was the last thing in the entire world that he wanted to do. She had a clan she was trying to eventually lead and he couldn't be part of the equation.

But then she pulled him down for another kiss and he began to really not give a damn. Without even realizing it his hands began to become more bold and he felt almost drunk with pleasure at the feel of her skin, of touching her again.

_We have to stop_.

The thought was rather appalling to him at the moment and so he ignored it for a moment longer, unable to help his body's reaction when she let out a whimper/sigh as he trailed kisses down her neck. When his fingers brushed along the underside of her breast and she whispered his name it took all of his self control to finally back away. Her face was flushed, eyes hooded and she looked slightly confused, as if she couldn't understand why he had backed off. Did she even know what she was capable of doing to a man? She couldn't possibly; she looked and seemed so innocent and he…

"I should go." Was that his voice that sounded deep like that?

"No." she said and he didn't at all fight her when she pulled him back in, the thought had never even crossed his mind. Her lips felt so soft and warm; he had missed it, missed her. She continued to pull him close and once again he shivered.

"Hinata…" it came out a breathy whisper as he once again began to move his lips against hers "Hinata I love you." Framing her face in his hands he continued to kiss her lips, face, neck "I love you more than anything and I have wanted to do this for so _long_." He kissed her hard "I love you." It was a low murmur as one hand slid around her waist and pulled her closer "I've tried so hard but I can't…I love you and I just can't…"

Had the cot actually been a bed he wasn't entirely sure what he would have tried doing. All he knew was that he loved her and all of the emotions he had been keeping in check were out. He didn't even know what he was saying, he was just talking "Just once…just once more I want to hear those words from you. Please."

"I love you, Gaara-kun." She said it softly and he closed his eyes, savoring those beautiful words. She didn't even seem to care that his hands kept moving up her legs and sides, and he was too out of control to stop himself. The moment she laid her lips on his he knew now his fate had been sealed. He wouldn't want to go back to the way things were now, he would be unable to walk away from her _again_.

Then she pulled away and the two teens remained like that; staring at each other as they panted softly. Although it was difficult for him to think he realized that he had done something terrible. This girl no longer belonged to him; he had let her go and she had chosen to lead her clan, they couldn't be together. The moment her lips had pressed against his he had been finished, completely undone. Everything in him was saying that he needed to walk away from her, to leave the tent, leave the damn vicinity for a while, and calm himself down.

His face must have betrayed his emotions for he felt her hands grab his wrist, tugging lightly. His look was impassive although he felt anything but. She shook her head "I…Gaara-kun I didn't…"

Emotionally shaky, he gave her a slight nervous smile "It's alright, I am sure you were just –"

He stopped when she shook her head again. Her gaze was pleading, imploring "Please…don't leave me again. I can't…I don't want to be without you anymore, Gaara-kun. I've missed you so much. I want us to be together again."

Hearing things. He had to be hearing things. She didn't say what he thought she said because it changed so much and yet he wanted it more than anything "We are together, Hinata-chan." He was proud of the way he kept his voice neutral "We are friends, that is what…" but no, she was shaking her head once more, frustrated tears swimming in her eyes.

"At first I had been so excited about making bonds that it hadn't mattered to me what happened as long as we stayed friends." Her grip tightened "But it wasn't the same. I couldn't see you whenever I wanted, we were hardly ever together anymore. You became distant. We didn't touch or hug or k-kiss…" she looked down, embarrassed "I hate waking up and you're not there. I hate not being able to hold your hand all the time." She moved one had from his wrist to wipe at her face "I…I hate this, Gaara-kun. I know I should do what's best but I…" she looked up at him "I don't want that if I can't be with you!"

Any further words were cut off as he once again framed her face and pulled her in. A soft moan escaped his throat as he pulled her almost impossibly close. If he were to die right this moment he would die content knowing that his feelings truly were returned; they were not as one sided as he had believed. She loved him, she wanted to be with him. She met his passion with her own, his thumb brushed along a damp cheek as he pulled away. Raising his other hand he continued to wipe away her tears. He took a deep mental breath and when he smiled it was a little sad.

"Hinata-chan," just because he had to he dipped his head, closing the distance briefly "Is this…what you want? I must know the truth because I…I do not _want_ to become possessive but if you take me back I will be unable to walk away from you again. I'm not strong enough."

_Aren't you forgetting her clan? And Neji?_ He could sense Shukaku's influence in that question. He wasn't forgetting and as for Neji…

Grabbing his hands she looked up at him and never had he thought her more beautiful. Was this really happening? Would he actually have her back in his life again? After almost two years, would he have his Hinata back, really and truly?

"No…" she shook her head "I'm not…I'm never going to leave again, Gaara-kun. This entire time it's as if there's only half of me that exists and I only feel complete around you. I…we were meant for each other, I truly believe that now. I-I'm so sorry; you must have been so unhappy and I had thought that just being friends would be enough but –"

He stopped her with another kiss "Forget about it; it doesn't matter anymore, I have you now." He pulled her against his chest and just held her, enjoyed the feel of her so close to him again "I don't want you to give up your dream though, Hinata-chan." When she shook her head his arms tightened "Listen for a moment. As much as the Hyuuga do not wish it, there _must_ be a way for us to be together and for you to take over the Hyuuga." Pulling her back he brushed stray strands of hair from her face "We will need to speak to your cousin."

Hinata paled "Oh…oh Neji-niisan…" her hands moved to her face and she looked guilty "I can't believe I…"

"I would not worry about it overmuch." He reassured her, remembering Neji's words from earlier. Gaara was beginning to understand why Neji had confessed; he had known Hinata felt this way and he had known it would be a matter of time before something happened. That had to be it, Neji was extremely intelligent and observant; it was not difficult to read Hinata if one knew what to look for.

Neji had said it himself; he had wanted Hinata to have a choice and she had chosen him. The fact that he was now openly trusting Gaara with her safety despite the fact that he was guardian of the heir meant that he was finally giving Gaara the support he had promised. The Hyuuga had done it in a rather roundabout way but he had given them his blessings; now only the Hyuuga council stood in the way of them truly being together and with the Hyuuga genius supporting them they would be able to overcome that hurdle eventually. "He and I had a talk today…he will not be upset." She looked relieved and he moved his hands up and down her arms, just needing to touch her.

Unfortunately, although _he_ did not need sleep, she did and her day had been trying enough. Leaning forward, he pressed their foreheads together "We will talk more on this tomorrow; for now you need your rest. I set up my tent since you weren't able to set up your own; please feel free to use it." He would have backed away but her legs refused to unhook – which was giving him ideas he really didn't want to entertain – and she gave him a pleading look.

"I…" her face burned and she looked down, dropping her legs "Will you…sleep with me?"

It took his brain a second to process that she was asking for him to lie beside her as he had when they were children and _not_ the other thing that was definitely on his mind. He nodded and the look on her face had warmed him. Immediately he took her tattooed hand and began to walk to his tent. She was his once more. He was hers. He didn't care what he had to do, he would fulfill both of their dreams; one should not have to sacrifice for the other, not on this.

Both teens breathed out soft sighs of relief when they reached the tent and he wrapped his arms around her frame, pulling her back up against him as they lay on his bedroll. His grip tightened, her arms moved over his and it took her only moments before she was breathing evenly. As he had years ago he sat up partially, keeping one arm around her as he watched her sleep peacefully. No matter what he did, no matter how much he changed, Hyuuga Hinata would always affect him; she would always have a way of tearing down his walls around her.

And he loved it.

xxxxx

There was a loud popping sound and sand hissed, filling the area around the new Kazekage and his office. He was standing with his arms crossed at the threshold of his balcony, looking out over the village that was now his to protect. He inclined his head towards the shadows in his office.

"Tsunade informed me that you had a rather irritable habit of appearing unannounced into a kage's office..." a pause "Uchiha Itachi."

Said Uchiha emerged from the shadows, a small smile playing on his lips. "It took the Hokage a few minutes before she had noticed my presence; you realized it immediately."

Gaara turned back to the view "As a child, I constantly had assassins coming for me; I suppose it has made me more paranoid than most." The sand receded, sliding back into his gourd that had been at his side.

"My brother was here." He decided to get straight to the point. "Orochimaru will soon be ready to try and take his body."

"I do not see what my village has to do with it." He turned to face the other male. At twenty years old, Itachi looked harmless, but many thought Gaara was harmless - those who did not know of his reputation, anyway. He was wearing a flared neck black shirt and matching pants, crimson eyes taking in the other male.

"I merely need the ability to transverse through your lands without concern of hostility. I understand –" he cut in as Gaara opened his mouth to speak. "That my brother is no longer in Suna; but I will still need to travel through to follow."

"Ah." He tilted his head "So I am to allow an international criminal and supposed dead man through my lands...with your eternal gratitude?"

Itachi actually chuckled "No, although you will have it regardless. The Akatsuki are beginning to strike and for some reason, they are searching for the tailed beasts. They are extracting them from their hosts...where and for what purpose I do not know."

Green eyes widened in shock "They are...?" he turned away, frowning thoughtfully. Why would they do such a thing? It didn't make any sense. "So they will come for me."

"Yes." A pause "I will offer you my services in exchange for passage. I will take no longer than a few days to a few weeks to search for my brother. I will be at your disposal until the threat has passed."

The Kazekage contemplated this. "Do you believe I cannot protect my own village?" it wasn't asked out of malice, he was fishing for something.

And got it. "They travel in pairs. You are incredibly powerful, but not even you would be able to take on both or even a group. I assure you, the extra protection will be necessary."

He nodded once, understanding "Very well." He paused "But I do not wish to be protected..."

"You mean Hyuuga Hinata?" the Kazekage nodded. "I heard of the rumors that you constantly had a girl at your side. I understand; I will protect her." He pulled out a scroll. "You may give this to her," he walked over and put it on the Kazekage's desk. "If she is ever in a dire situation and I am not there, she may use this only once. If it is not used before my time is up, I will reclaim it."

"I understand." He smiled thinly. "You have...my eternal gratitude." He turned back to the village when Itachi chuckled once more at the joke and then was gone.

Sleep deprived eyes narrowed to slits. "Akatsuki." He repeated. He knew of them and the threat they posed to the village. It was a serious one. He knew they were actively searching for Naruto which was why the blonde had left with Jiraiya to begin with. In fact, he was due to return in a few months. If they had already captured other tailed beasts, that meant that if they returned to Konoha for Naruto, they would either come before or after for him.

This time when he felt an intruder in his office he smiled thinly, turning just in time to keep from being toppled over by his love. He chuckled lightly at her antics, his arms wrapping around her waist. Simply because he could not help it, he pulled her close, covering her lips with his briefly. His hand rose to brush along her cheek when she looked up at him, her eyes shining with a familiar but matured emotion.

"You have...no idea how much I have longed to see that look in your eyes again, Hinata-chan." He said sincerely. Losing her had nearly undone him; it had taken a lot of willpower and discipline for him to have gotten as far as he had without her at his side.

Her brows furrowed and guilt crossed her features. Slowly, her hands framed his face and he leaned into the touch, closing his eyes. Never again would he take her gentle touches for granted; he knew what it was like not to have them at all. "You...must have been suffering...this entire time and I..."

"Don't do that." His hands grasped hers and he realized for the first time that his were beginning to dwarf hers. They truly were getting older...changing. "We are together again and only after a year and a half. That is nothing in comparison to how long we've had each other in our lives. And...if I am honest with myself; it was something you needed. No matter your feelings for me, my treatment of you..." his grip tightened slightly. "had been stifling. You needed freedom – something I will never take from you again."

"...I...I love you, Gaara-kun."

He hesitated in slight surprise and then nodded "I love you too, Hinata-chan."

When they parted again from their kiss, she rested her head along his chest and he began to absently trail his fingers through her long hair "I almost forgot, you've returned from your mission almost two days early. I was a little surprised to see you."

His childhood friend turned a very interesting shade of red which caused his brow to rise. He had the distinct impression that she was up to something. She'd tell him eventually and he had patience so remained silent.

"W-well I um..." she pulled back a bit and began to do that finger poking thing that he had always found to be cute. "I hurried back b-because..." one hand slid to his chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt lightly. "I wanted..." if possible, she turned even redder and ducked her head, muttering something that took him a moment to translate.

"Alright." He said and she looked up at him with those bright pearly eyes and he resisted the urge to kiss her again. Pulling away, he took her hand and the two walked together out of the office, ensuring that they were not seen.

His new room was much larger than the one they had grown up in which was probably for the best as the two of them would be unable to fit comfortably in their old bed. They did not crawl under the covers, they never had; instead they curled up together, the redhead spooning the brunette. His arm moved protectively over her middle and hers moved to cover his, their fingers interlacing.

It was indescribable how good it felt to have her like this again. Gaara buried his face in her neck, taking in her natural floral scent. He would never be able to sleep but it never failed to relax him. "You are beautiful, Hinata." He had always wished he had said that to her more as he had certainly felt it, but had felt awkward about doing so at the time. The Kazekage would not make the same mistakes he had in his younger days. Not with her.

She turned in his arms and before he could even register another thought her lips slid over his in a definitely more-than-friendly manner. Hinata pressed her body against his and his immediate reaction was to wrap his arms around her, his hand sliding up her back. Tilting his head they deepened the kiss and he moaned softly, heat emerging in his stomach and quickly spreading.

_I should stop this._ Came the thought until warm hands slid underneath his shirt and over his skin. A pleasurable shiver moved up his spine and his hand pushed on her lower back, pressing their hips closer. It took every bit of self control he had not to move against her as his body quickly reacted to her touch after going so long without.

"Hinata," he sounded breathy as he tried to pull away "We can't...we can't do this."

Her confusion nearly broke his resolve. "I don't understand. We love each other so..."

Understanding dawned on him and he rested his forehead against hers "Yes, but we are no longer married, we are still too young, and if something were to happen you would lose your position as heir." The two of them had never held back when it came to their feelings for each other, not really, so he now understood her confusion. They had always been close in every way possible and now that they were a couple again intimacy was something they could share.

If only it were that simple. He wanted to, because he felt the same way; but he wanted her to fulfill her dream. Becoming lovers would not help that.

"Oh." Her face began to heat with embarrassment "I..."

The redhead cut her off with a brief kiss. "It's alright...it's not that I do not want to." He began to shift so that he wasn't pressing up quite so much against her. Both were unable to hide the blush from that. "It's just that; we can no longer do whatever we want when it comes to each other. We actually have to care about what others think of us and how our actions will affect things."

Hinata frowned in thought over that before looking at him. "I...do care about others but..." smiling warmly, she placed her hand over his cheek. "you will always be my most precious person. If I am ever given a choice between you and something else, I will always choose you, Gaara-kun. I always have and the one time I didn't I was unhappy. I...know we don't live by our oath any more but still in the end...nothing else matters but you."

"No, Hinata-chan, we still live by our oath..." he brushed his lips against her lightly "As I said before, we merely expanded it...but we will always love each other. We still exist for each other. And you are also my most precious person." _Never again will I forget that or take it for granted._

**xxxxx**

**AN:** Some folks might be upset with how this ends, but I had lost the muse for this story. Regardless, I felt it to be a good place to end, as the story is open for a sequel, but is still a HFN(Happily for Now). Apologies for how late this was, this story had been completed months before actual posting up here, I just kept forgetting to update it since it was already on LJ. Hope you enjoyed.


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